Ghost of Me
by Breviary-Rose
Summary: Loki barely escapes New York alive and goes into hiding in order to regain strength. Just when he'd nearly lost everything, he crosses paths with Jane, who is solemnly up to no good with a new lead to research. When the Avengers get involved, a new villain is introduced in conjunction with a inexplicable connection between Loki and Jane. - LOKANE; Post-Avengers & AU
1. Part I: Chapter 1

**Author's Note:** This is the edited version of the original chapter one. After carefully reading through, the story had not enough exposition, so I'm going to be adding scenes for clarity purposes. I hope you enjoy the new updated chapters!

In any case, this story was inspired by the song _"_Ghost of Me" by Daughtry. This is set just after the Avengers save New York City with the scenario that Loki fled into hiding for the sake of this story. Also, the length of this first chapter is relatively shorter than I have working for the other chapters, so don't fret! Enjoy!

**Description:** The Avengers are forced to halt their search for a missing Loki when a new threat, Thanos, threatens humanity. Meanwhile, Jane escapes SHIELD's hold and flees to Alaska to investigate a new theory when an ethereal, obsidian wolf appears before her. She never imagined how much danger she would put the world in just by harboring a single lone wolf. As the truth is revealed, what lies beneath?

**Disclaimer(s):** I do not own Thor, the Avengers, or anything regarding any fandom. Thanks.

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_"I believe a leaf of grass is no less than the journey-work of the stars."_

~Walt Whitman

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**Chapter 1**

Jane's brows pulled down toward her nose. She was lost. _Really_ lost.

Fumbling with the state-of-the-art GPS handheld, she realized the flaw in such a state-of-the-art technology: there was no such thing.

Stopping, Jane cursed as she slapped the small device once more before throwing across the snowy basin. Withdrawing her map, Jane found her relative position and studied the article based on latitudinal and longitudinal coordinates. She was at least three miles away.

"Absolutely ridiculous."

Sighing, she cupped her hand to act as a visor over her eyes, scanning her surroundings. According to the map, she needed to meander through a small forest and over one smaller mountain before reaching her destination.

Alaska, so far, wasn't such a great idea, she reflected.

Her purpose was to find any connection between the aurora borealis and wormholes. Based off the events in New York and the people who literally kept her prisoner, Jane concluded that she could no longer be in the so-called civilized world.

SHIELD planned on using the Tesseract for nuclear arms to defend humans from future attacks. SHIELD thought that greater weaponry would scare away the worlds humans had yet to understand, but Jane knew that it would draw unwanted attention to Earth.

Among that, she had nowhere else to go.

She knew that New Mexico would be the first place they would look for her: followed by New York and London. They were aware of her brief encounter (for that is all she could label it for now) with Thor, so she couldn't go look for him.

Jane briefly sat down, taking a sip of water when she really could have used a strong drink to burn her throat and worries away.

Later.

Nick Fury himself had seized her in the middle of the desert upon Loki entering this world. He instructed a regime to take her to a facility burrowed in the Swiss Alps. She was contained in a small, square room with an exposed toilet, a small bed, and one bookshelf filled with just three novels.

Most days she wasn't allowed to do anything or go anywhere. Some days, she would visit the exciting space called the cafeteria when she wasn't brought food.

Cringing, she resorted to humming in order to stop thinking about her time in containment. Jane folded the map back up and gently placed it back in her satchel, grabbing her collar to pull her hood over her head. She exhaled roughly and started toward the woods.

Daylight wasn't threatening to settle in the west for at least another few hours, so she decided to take her pace slow, casually glancing around to see if she was stepping into dangerous territory.

Upon entering the forest, the treetops censored the sunlight out, giving the air a bitterness unknown to even this time of year. Shivering, she continued, stepping cautiously to avoid any holes.

A violent gust of wind carried through as Jane stood against a nearby tree. Her skin tightened, and she felt her heart freeze.

Her lungs ceased its basic functions. Jane began to panic.

Jane closed her eyes while drawing in a deep, calming breath. "Get over this, Jane," she chided herself.

A nearby branch fell, stifling the eerie silence. Jane's pulse charged.

Rushing out from the tree trunk's support, Jane rounded the corner and her and erased further thought.

Gasping, Jane fought the urge to run even though the marrow in her bones struggled against her motionless form.

Growling, a pure black wolf—defiant against the raging wind—readied itself for attack before her. Its coat resembled noble obsidian marble rather than a dingy coal texture. The animal's eyes glistened a soft, lonesome mixture of shades ranging from bright mint to faint periwinkle.

Jane's gaze seemed to snatch away the creature's resolve of attacking. Simultaneously, Jane and the ebony wolf fought for control of the other's regard.

Taking a bold step toward the animal, Jane brought up a finger and fixed it over the scrutinizing, growling wolf.

"Do me a favor," she began, the uneasy waver drifting away with the passing current. Exhaling, Jane lifted her finger up once and lowered it authoritatively, "and forget momentarily that you're a carnivore."

When the wolf noticeably would not warrant her anything aside from an earth-shattering howl, Jane maintained her position, taking a step forward as her chin rose slightly, "For what it's worth, I'm probably poisoned by all of the vaccinations I was given back at the SHIELD confinement."

Never once breaking their heated stare, she humbly accepted the wheels turning in her head. "Yeah," she continued, her other hand traveling the length of her arm, moving fluidly from her shoulder to her wrist, "I'm not even in shape! No meat to my bones and hardly any fat. I won't even taste as satisfying as you make yourself to believe."

Seeing the anger fade slightly from the multi-dimensional hues of the hunter-wolf, Jane took another step toward the animal. "Besides, I won't give you what you want without defending myself. Frankly, I still have to figure out how to access the other worlds throughout the universe before I will willingly die."

Noticing a shift from vengeance to intrigue dwindle about the wolf's intent stare, Jane lowered to kneel on one knee as she was only five feet away from the elegant beast. Jane lowered her pointed finger so that both hands remained by her sides.

"I know I've invaded your preying territory, but I can promise you that my well-stocked freezer has a multitude of selection to feast from. If you don't attack me, I will feed you for the duration that I am here," she said, attempting to reason with a being that couldn't understand her.

Hesitantly, the black beast strutted toward her and halted at precisely an arm's reach away. For a moment, Jane could only admire the cosmic detail the creature proffered her notice. Deducing the creature was waiting rather than sizing up his meal, she cautiously extended her gloved hand toward him, but the wolf did not move.

Raising her left brow, her features molded a perplexed expression.

Suddenly, the wolf moved toward her steady hand, its teeth peeling the glove from her hand, the frost nipping at her fingertips instantly. The wolf let go of the glove, the article carelessly fading with the white wind in the distance.

Jane's eyes never left the beast's as he leaned into her touch, palm to snout, briefly before moving away from her and walking toward the direction she needed to head.

Despite her fingers shivering chaotically, Jane knelt dazedly in her spot, looking at the retreating form of the obsidian beast.

"So much for father's gloves," was all she muttered before walking hastily behind the curious animal toward the cabin.

vvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvv

The black wolf hadn't come within ten feet of her vicinity since the almost-attack back in the woods. Presently, he lay by the glowing remnants of the fire started hours before.

Well into evening, Jane picked up both of the plates used for their meal she'd prepared for the both of them and moved to the sink, running the sponge over the smooth surfaces twice.

Sighing, she places her palms on the edge of the sink and lifted her head up to view the white ceiling. Her eyes had been heavy the whole night, but there was no explanation.

She was just melancholy.

The den had many interesting novels, including a few of Jane Austen's classics, such as _Pride and Prejudice, Persuasion, and Sense and Sensibility, _and Mary Shelley's _Frankenstein._ There were a few others, too, but not much else that looked appealing. Earlier in the main bedroom, she'd located a book of the Norse gods and mythology.

Lonely, she walked back to her large loveseat in the living area and snuggled into the soft fleece throw.

Her hot chocolate had long since cooled, the frosty conditions wearing the heat away like the ocean water against basalt rock. Reaching for the mythology novel, Jane avidly searched through the index to find Thor.

Displayed upon the left page, an inscription appeared below a large drawing of the god of thunder. Before skimming over the words, her fingers naturally trace the outline of the photo, admiring the familiarity it brought to her.

Below the photo, she read, "An ideal depiction of what all human warriors strived to compare to, Thor, god of thunder, was a valiant warrior known for his courage, loyalty, and honor. He was a primary defender of Asgard and other Aesir gods. Since the Bronze Age, he served the people of Midgard as the foremost deity of warriors and military strength."

No mention of holding promises, she snidely added. Rolling her eyes, she swiped at the few shed tears and sighed. She shivered slightly and placed the book on her lap.

"He didn't come for me upon Loki's short reign of terror across New York. Never once had he called or wrote while her," she reminded herself. She'd spent so many months searching for him and a way to get him back to her after he vanished from her side as quick as he joined it.

Never once had she given up—until after New York. Even now, she hadn't received word of his seeking her out.

Usually, she upheld understanding toward others. No one single person was capable of devoting all of their time to another person. They had lives, too.

But Thor had severely hurt her in his lie.

Maybe he thought to seek her out when everything went back to normal. Maybe he really thought Loki would seek her out and kill her for his connection to her.

Or maybe he no longer cared.

The thought sunk into her soul and allowed bitterness to seep through. She had truly cared about him. In only their three days together, Jane had felt partially complete around him. He'd given her validation to her life's research. He'd given her feelings she never thought possible for someone as awkward as herself.

He'd made her feel alive, made her truly believe in his promise, because he'd defeated the Destroyer in order to save a town he had no connection or responsibility to.

He was kind, gentle, honest (for the most part), and allowed her to believe in something else other than her work. She'd been inspired.

She was never inspired by anything new and not related to science.

They'd only have a dash of chemistry. Nothing else.

Biting her lip, she shook her head. She and relationships were hopeless.

She had no soul mate in any of the nine realms Thor had mentioned. After all, not even the god of thunder thought her to be important enough.

"Sometimes I wish he never had to go back, that Loki never sent the Destroyer and simply left us alone. Maybe then we could have had a small chance," she said, selfish in thoughts of what could have been.

Everything was fruitless. She could start from scratch on her old research. She could try to steal it back. Hell, she could stay here for the rest of time and never research anything ever again.

But life had to go on. So she would learn to live without real purpose. She'd never been frivolous, but she could learn to be.

Glancing back over the book, Jane picked it up and flipped back to the index—seeking out Loki.

She found herself interested in how such a loved person could fall to such a depth of evil.

Needing to eradicate the silence, Jane gazed down at the rather comical drawing of the god of mischief. "Best known for the death of Baldur, Loki is known to be one to completely disregard the well-being of his kin and is a scheming coward who cares only for his shallow pleasures and self-preservation," she spoke softly.

"I think humanity is simply biased. Especially since Thor told many good stories of him before he tried to kill us with the Destroyer," she retorted, throwing the book across the room.

She was furious.

Was Loki so bad? He once possessed the full loyalty of Thor and Odin. Yet he destroys New York. He once was a prince of Asgard, a revered and proud realm. But he still defied his loving brother.

She hadn't received the full package of details about this Loki, but something just wasn't right—like the information she had was only superficial and not substantial.

She needed to know the whole story. She hoped one day she'd get to hear it.

Glancing up, Jane saw the wolf sitting before her precisely five feet away, staring and observing. Leaning over, careful not to move too close, Jane remained quiet.

She returned his blank stare and took the time to admire his clear, dimensional light eyes.

"You must really be unsocial. Perhaps someone did something to wrong you? Maybe your pack? I realize you cannot ever hope to tell me, but I can always have my theories," she started, her mouth forming a warm smile.

Pulling at the fleece throw over her body, she continued slowly, "If I could have just one power, I'd wish for nothing more than to know what you've been through. I suppose you're the second living creature I'd love to get to know more about."

When the black beast tilted his head ever so slightly, she wanted nothing more than to chance a stroke, but she sustained her distance. "Loki. He's been a fascination of mine since a friend of mine first told me about him. It's totally unfair, too! Any book in Midgard will encourage him to be a sly, devious trickster with nothing else to occupy his time.

"Thor spoke highly of him. He's this grand mystery, but unfortunately, I won't meet him. He's out destroying the world and pissing the Avengers off to have time to answer personal questions for little, ole me," she finished.

The wolf simply continued to stare at her and took one step backward, his eyes narrowing. "Do you understand me at all?" she questioned. A part of her still didn't believe this creature was the beast he physically presented before her eyes. Something in his hues sent her to a peaceful, yet lonesome space. She'd never recalled a wolf, let alone any animal, to have such dazzling eyes.

Of course, the wolf absently sat before her. Chuckling softly, she brought both of her hands together and began to pick at one of her fingernails. Her heart felt empty. Looking up, eyes glistening in the low flickering ember-lit room, she whispered helplessly, "It would be so nice if you could at least know half of what I feel."

"Everyone says how lucky I am to have captured the attention of a god, let alone an Avenger," she continued, pausing to catch the frog at her throat, "I must be a truly selfish person, but it's not enough. I'm never enough."

Her voice hitched and became hoarse. Shuttering fingertips covered her mouth and she inhaled and exhaled languidly, catching her breath, "Why couldn't he have come for me? He could have protected me. He could have done something, _anything_, but instead I received only a cold distance from him."

Sliding a finger under her eyes, tears ran from her fingertips to her palm. Jane wiped her hands on her jeans. Oddly, she laughed. "I'm truly losing my mind."

Allowing herself to hopelessly laugh at her meager life, her dark eyes captured his, "You may not be able to reply, but you listen very well. Thank you."

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_**To be continued...**_

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Please review!


	2. Chapter 2

**Author's Note:** After seeing the the level of response to this story, I decided to write chapter two so I could update for you all! Thanks for all of the lovely reviews! I will always respond to those who have an account, but to those who do not, I truly appreciate your kind words! I hope I continue to satisfy you!

**Description:** The Avengers are forced to halt their search for a missing Loki when a new threat, Thanos, threatens humanity. Meanwhile, Jane escapes SHIELD's hold and flees to Alaska to investigate a new theory when an ethereal, obsidian wolf appears before her. She never imagined how much danger she would put the world in just by harboring a single lone wolf. As the truth is revealed, what lies beneath?

**Disclaimer(s):** I do not own Thor, the Avengers, or anything regarding any fandom. Thanks.

* * *

_"I no doubt deserved my enemies, but I don't believe I deserved my friends."_

~Walt Whitman

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**Chapter 2**

"I _cannot_ just call you Spot, Blackie, or Wolf," Jane drew as she intently studied the animal. Squinting her eyes, she shifted her brown hues from the wolf's front paws and followed to the back paws—seeking any sort of mark for inspiration. She found nothing.

Hearing a noise from the freezer, she rose from her place on the rug facing the wolf. Presently, she wore a pair of black shorts that barely followed under the shape of her bum and a faded shamrock-toned sweater.

Despite currently being snowed in from the outside, Jane had fixed the generator so she wouldn't freeze.

Jane had given this space by a retired colleague of her father's when she had slipped away quietly from SHIELD by Dr. Nancy Reigner. Nancy had called it a desolate den, but to Jane, the cabin was a palace!

Spread across three floors, the ground level had one bathroom, the kitchen, and a small living den. The second story was two bedrooms and another bathroom. One bedroom was spacious: luxury thrown about the space. The other was small and had no bed.

The last story wasn't actually connected to the cabin, but underneath a rug, there was a dark tunnel that lead to the peak of the mountain neighboring the residence, which also featured an observatory and an advanced laboratory.

Jane found herself giddy with appreciation for such a place every morning she woke.

From where she stood, Jane sighed. "I wish this place didn't have as many unknown noises," she reflected quietly as she brought one hand to cradle the opposite arm's elbow.

Guiding her gaze over the small mess where the wolf lay and she sat, she bent down and collected the dishes to take them to the sink. Raising the left side of her upper lip, she shrugged, "I'll get to these later."

Disposing the plates and silverware in the depth of the sink, she brought her hands to the countertop, her fingers quietly tracing the fantastic dark marble in awe.

Lines like lightning and thunder cracked through the harsh hue of the surface. Jane felt her expression compress toward her nose, her skin twitching irritably. Somberly, she sighed as reflections of the not-so-distant past queued across her eyes.

Lifting her eyes, Jane fixed her attention on the window, though the expanse of the glass was covered by the angelic frost. Even though the ongoing snow obscured the view outside, Jane placed a hand on the frigid glass and her eyes absently closed as her chin lowered.

"I have to get to work," Jane eventually said, turning from the marble to forget about the god of thunder.

Eventually, she threw herself out of thought when something tickled her thigh. Jane shook her head as she glanced down to see that the wolf had come to her without making any noise for her to notice.

Kneeling, Jane was matching the height of the black beast, their eyes transfixing over the others.

In the forgiving, unnatural light of the kitchen, his eyes were lazily mixing the same hues of mint and periwinkle; however, the shades of periwinkle seemed to glimmer while the mint substantially darkened.

Jane smiled, "Kalt. I'll call you Kalt." Raising her brows, she lowered to both of her knees and stilled her hands in her lap. "Your eyes remind me of a calm winter morning that transcends every wonder throughout the world," she mused while her hands interlaced together absently.

"I think it means cold in Icelandic."

Her features relaxed as the wolf seemingly approved by sitting down after stepping once toward her.

Jane smiled and reflected.

_"How on earth did you know how to get here, wolf?" Jane said, her voice dry and trembling._

_The beast gave no indication of knowing what she said, but his indifference to her gave her encouragement to utter a curse._

_She frantically slid her hands together and hoped that the friction would raise her dramatically low body temperature. No such luck. Withdrawing the keys to the cabin before her, her gloved hand reached toward the knob, shivering wildly._

_When the door swung open, the wolf walked past her slowly. Needing warmth and curious to feel his coat, Jane stretched her hand toward him, but the beast turned around to growl._

_"Fine, I won't touch you."_

Smirking, Jane chuckled lowly, "I bet I still can't touch you."

Kalt's eyes narrowed accordingly, snorting.

"I figured."

vvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvv

"Thor, we need to pursue Loki. Who knows what the man is capable of next?" Romanov reasoned, her black suit feeling more constricting than ever before.

"Loki is weakened and is aware of what we are capable of doing. He is my brother and I will not kill him. Judgment is not mine to grasp, but the Allfather's," Thor countered, lifting his hammer toward her for emphasis.

The woman rolled her eyes in response.

"Nevermind that, Avengers," Fury began, his arms crossed, "I've received word about Dr. Foster's disappearance from the base in the Alps. She's in the immediate path that Loki would try to manipulate or kill first."

Tony Stark grunted, "Her disappearance wasn't coincidental, nor a kidnapping by a weakened god of Asgard. No, she _ran_ away and even stole a few files…or so I've heard."

Steve Rogers fought a disbelieving chuckle, "She seems capable of hiding long enough for us to look for Loki, especially if she can waltz out of a highly guarded SHIELD base with private files."

Frustrated, Thor set his hammer on the tile of the lab and crossed his arms, "I will not allow you to hurt my brother further. He is not hurting anyone else, and until he does, we are seeking out Jane Foster."

Tilting his head, Tony grunted, "You can be a little too righteous sometimes. And besides, who put you in charge of us?"

Scrunching his features, Thor stepped toward Nick, obviously ignoring the man of iron, "What can we do to protect Jane, Fury?"

Not moving, Fury raised his exposed brow as his eyes darkened a bit, "I believe we will counter this situation from two fronts. When Dr. Banner recovers, he will lead a front in order to find Loki so we can place him in custody to take him back to Asgard. Thor, you will conduct a search for Jane with the others."

Tony chuckled, "I think we should investigate who else Loki has pissed off. He obviously wasn't working alone in New York."

"SHIELD will handle those affairs," Fury mentioned.

Romanov stepped out and crossed her arms, "No. SHIELD is done handling extraterrestrial affairs. Especially with talk of creating nuclear arms."

"I don't think you know what we could be dealing with," Fury retorted.

Raising her head, Romanov smirked, "Neither do you."

"We cannot separate! This could be Loki's way of trying to regain his strength: sending us on three different trails to divide our collective strength," Rogers mentioned, his expression tightening.

Romanov nodded, her head leaning as if considering his words, "I understand that, Rogers, but something must be done. If we move together to finding either Dr. Foster or Loki without looking for the other, we risk one getting hurt or another New York incident."

Thor grunted and lifted a hand to rub his cheek, "I do not think it wise to separate."

Tony shifted his arrogant stance to fit the depth of the subject of discussion, "What if we collectively find out more information about the things Loki may have been working for? Jane can obviously handle herself well enough, and Loki isn't going anywhere without the Tesseract, which is in our custody again. He has no way of rallying another army until he heals from the bitch beating the Hulk gave to him."

"Absolutely," Rogers started, opening his mouth to explain himself.

"-Not!" Thor commanded. "I will not abandon my kin, nor will I place Jane in danger."

Stomping her heel, Romanov groaned, "I have to agree with Stark on this one. If whomever Loki was working with comes here, the entire world will be in danger. This course of action is the greater good, Thor. You know that."

Fury gathered that his input mattered not to these Avengers. He obliged the others with his silence and calculative observation, his arms still crossed.

Thor shouted, balling his hand up and turning to face the glass, "Fine." Then, he walked out to check on Dr. Banner and Clint Barton.

vvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvv

Jane's heart fluttered against her ribcage as a bird trapped within a cramped enclosure. Her lungs ceased functioning momentarily. Never had she seen such a marvelous sight.

The cool tones and satiny texture of the aurora borealis engraved itself within the frays of her recollection. She would never forget such a sight.

The fluid movements of the flowing colors in the sky reminded Jane of a cape attached to a valiant hero. Her breath continued to catch at her throat.

"Beautiful," she uttered quietly, as if sound would puncture the moment. Beside her, Kalt sat as she heard him sigh.

Jane glanced down for an instant and tugged on her parka, moving toward the edge of the cave's entrance to catch a better look. "I've never witnessed anything so breathtaking, Kalt!"

Just as Kalt moved toward her at the edge of the cave's mouth overlooking a steep valley between another mountain, Jane ran back to the computers to gather what data she was collecting, her lips cracked with a large smile. "This is unbelievable! The aurora appears to be an anomaly in itself! I knew there was a connection to wormholes."

As a printer eased a piece of paper out, Jane crouched over the screen and laughed, nearly jumping up and down. "The solar wind is colliding with the magnetosphere to accelerate the atoms enough to resemble a weakened point in the atmosphere. This could mean that an aurora can potentially act as a wormhole!"

Stepping backward, Jane clapped as she spun around like an idiot. Openly, she laughed she moved her arms around and her body moved awkwardly—sadly, she was dancing. Jane hadn't ever been that graceful.

Still, she goofily moved and continued to laugh.

Jane had done the same action upon reaching a positive discovery in her last round of research.

Out of breath, Jane stilled herself, her smile still claiming her mouth. She rushed back to the printer and stood over the table to examine the results. "I've found it! I've found a way to access other places throughout the universe! These results are similar to the bifrost waves when Thor first came here!"

Her hand then cupped her forehead, her smile breaking. "Holy crap!" She needed to sit down.

As her nerves settled, her gaze captured Kalt's. The black wolf rested ten feet away from her and simply observed her. "Could you imagine what SHIELD or even the Avengers would say about this discovery? I'd imagine Dr. Banner turning into the Hulk instantly and throwing me in the aurora!" she choked, chuckling slightly.

The wolf whined at the mention of the Hulk, growling afterward. "What do you have against the Hulk?" she asked the creature, pausing as she raised a brow, "How is it that you can even understand me? I think I'm going crazy. I must be. I blame the confinement."

Kalt eased toward her slowly, stopping just far enough to where she wouldn't be able to reach out for him. Jane fell to her knees and sat in a daze. "I'm no Tesseract, but I sure am smart, huh?" she joked, her attention over Kalt.

Lightly, she smiled and sighed, "Will there ever be a time when you'll allow me to touch you? It's not enough that you won't let me sleep in the bed."

When the wolf remained intangible to her, Jane laughed and searched his beautiful hues. She seemed to do that often. "You're magnificent, you know? I've never witnessed eyes so lonesome, yet absolutely brilliant before. I've looked into a god's gaze before, but your own is hauntingly breathtaking."

Jane looked down at her hands and quickly glanced back over him, scooting closer. "Don't tell Thor, but your eyes are much more pleasing. Whomever you inherited them from must have been as honorable as you are—even if you refuse to let me touch you."

Jane noticed Kalt's lazy stare shift into an intense regard, his lids widening and his form incredibly alert, yet relaxed. As he fixed his eyes over hers, her stomach tightened and loosened quickly, causing her to shove her arm over her abdomen. Suddenly, she grew nervous and smiled.

"I'm glad you found me. I don't think this place would be nearly as exciting without someone to share it with."

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_**To be continued...**_

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Please review!


	3. Chapter 3

**Author's Note:** This chapter wrote itself! It only took me an hour to write it an another one to edit it! This chapter really sets the plot in stone! I'm having fun with all of these interactions. I'm shifting toward JAne and Loki beginning in the next chapter, but I wanted to establish the other characters, too! I hope your satisfied! I know I am!

**Description:** The Avengers are forced to halt their search for a missing Loki when a new threat, Thanos, threatens humanity. Meanwhile, Jane escapes SHIELD's hold and flees to Alaska to investigate a new theory when an ethereal, obsidian wolf appears before her. She never imagined how much danger she would put the world in just by harboring a single lone wolf. As the truth is revealed, what lies beneath?

**Disclaimer(s):** I do not own Thor, the Avengers, or anything regarding any fandom. Thanks.

* * *

_"I am as bad as the worst, but, thank God, I am as good as the best."_

~Walt Whitman

* * *

**Chapter 3**

"Sir, I beseech you to hear me out. As a loyal counterpart to your son, Thor, I ask to be sent to Midgard to aid him. Although failed, there have been many attempts for attacking three other worlds. Who is to say that we're not in line? I'm deeply concerned for the humans and Thor," Sif rationalized.

"Lady Sif, with the bifrost gone, I cannot hope to send another to Midgard. It was difficult to send even Thor after Loki," Odin solemnly spoke, his tone vacant.

"I have heard of a wormhole that would allow me to travel there without any dark magic, Sir. I am ready for this. Someone must go. I willingly accept this task in the name of Thor and in your honor," Sif spoke, her words unbreakably sound.

Odin stood from his throne. The loss of his son, Loki, had placed him in solitude. The absence of his heir, Thor, had captured his energy. Even Frigga could not get him in better spirits. "I fear that if you leave, there may not be a way back. You're ready to accept that burden?"

"Saving Midgard is no burden."

Taking a few steps to close the distance between them, Odin sighed, his eyes void of emotion, "You care for him that much, do you?"

Her breath caught in her chest as she gathered her hands at her waist and pointed her gaze downward. Her eyes shifted to worry, "If not as a friend, then yes. I've fought beside him and bled with him in battle."

"So be it, Lady Sif. You will depart at once."

Kneeling before the Allfather, Sif regained composure, her features aligned with determination, "I thank you, Sir."

vvvvvvvvvvvvvvvv

"I am well, Thor," Dr. Banner spoke, slightly irritable, "I assure you of that."

Thor swaggered beside the alter of the Hulk, his face urgent and concerned. "I would not advise you to not exert yourself too much, friend."

Lowering a brow, Bruce chuckled lightly, "Is that what we are? Friends?"

"Of course. We've fought together and nearly fell together. Is that not what you would constitute friendship?" Thor replied warmly.

"Is that what Asgard considers friendship? I thoroughly beat Loki to a pulp," Bruce joked, somewhat kidding. He didn't know to what extent Thor would enjoy hearing any form of jest.

"Asgard is different from Midgard, yes. However, friendship seems to be universal as I've come to realize," Thor reasoned.

Stretching, Dr. Banner simply groaned, somewhat pained from the events at New York still. "What about Jane? Is she your friend?"

"I regard her highly, of course, but in times like these, I do not have the luxury of considering more," Thor admitted, awfully reluctant to speak such a truth. "I'd promised her my return, but Loki has distracted me from that promise."

"Maybe it's for the best, you know?" Bruce rationalized, tender to Thor's obvious confliction dwelling in his tone, "How well would an Asgardian and a mortal be together?"

Narrowing his eyes, Thor brushed his palm over his face, dragging his skin as it fell back down at his side, "My father inquired of me that very subject."

As silence settled between them, footsteps were heard further down the hall. Both men glanced toward the noise and saw Natasha Romanov and Clint Barton. "Clint! It's great to see that you are as well as you should be!" Thor said, attempting to focus on other matters.

Bruce still traced hints of sadness from the god of thunder, but decided to leave the matter of Jane alone for now.

Natasha softly smiled and stood behind Barton, watching him as he shook hands with Thor.

"Thanks, Thor. I feel better without that leech in my head. Also, I'm glad to be relieved of those damned injuries from New York," Barton replied.

"I know you were well attended, also," the Asgardian said, shifting his eyes over Romanov.

Without casting a glance behind him, Clint raised a hand and placed it behind his head, scratching roughly. Diverting his gaze, he chuckled, "Of course."

Quickly, Natasha spoke, "We need to collect the other two so we can devise a plan."

Thor reached for Barton and began a conversation privately with the man. Barton did not reply.

Natasha stood quietly, her gaze fixing over Clint as he walked away from her. Biting the inside of her cheek, she forced herself to look away, relieving the stress working at her hands by unclenching her fists.

As she shook her head, she noticed Dr. Banner still looking at her intently.

"What?" Romanov irritably said. Despite wanting to, she did not move.

"I know what it's like to want something and not attain it. If I could, I would be rid of the Hulk, but I don't see that happening any time soon," Bruce mentioned quietly, stepping toward her.

Moisture collected in her eyes as she met his eyes, disbelieving of what he was saying. "You don't know anything about what I'm going through, so don't pretend to pity me. I owe him a debt."

"Yes, a debt that's been paid by saving him from Loki's control," Bruce reflected, remembering what she'd told him in a conversation before.

Natasha's eyes widened, her heart palpitating wildly. She walked forward and pushed him into the nearby wall—momentarily forgetting his anger issues—and pinned him in place, "You know nothing of who I am and what I'm capable of, Dr. Banner. So don't try to understand what I may or may not want."

Bruce smiled softly, "You sound uneasy, Romanov." He quietly remained under her grasp, searching her features. Her breath tickled his skin as he realized how close she was.

Her breathing became unsteady and hastened in their proximity. "I'm not afraid of you, Bruce."

Dr. Banner's smiled relaxed slightly, his mouth falling flat as his gaze became cold, "Good, but you should be."

Shoving her away from him, he hurried down the hall to catch up to the others, leaving Natasha alone to dwell on what had just occurred.

vvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvv

"The trajectory this device has us moving makes no sense!" Jane shouted as she hit the navigation device attached to the snowmobile. "There is only a mountain there, not any path!"

Hearing Kalt grunt, she sent him a rude look before adjusting their coordinates. "One more second," she said to no one in particular.

Prior to tinkering with another faulty piece of equipment, Jane discovered she didn't own a can opener for all of the canned food stocked up before she'd arrived by the actual cabin owner, Dr. Reigner.

Jane knew about the small town five miles away from the cabin, so she thought she would get the can opener and see the town. If only luck was on her side.

Attached to the snowmobile, a drag-along passenger car held an impatient Kalt. Jane seriously grew more curious regarding the black wolf. He refused to let her touch him, but he followed her like a shadow.

She'd never met a more puzzling creature in her life.

"Here we go!" she mentioned as she was rerouted. Following the path set before her, Jane arrived to the small town with Kalt in tow. Parking the vehicle at a local bar and inn, Jane wrapped her arms around her body and rubbed her hands together. Presently, she only had one glove on.

An additional item on her checklist was a set of gloves to replace her father's old one.

"Hey there!" a woman called from a store. "You must be Jane."

Smiling, Jane nodded, "You must be the woman I was talking with on the phone."

"I get that a lot, but my name is Abbey Taylor. I own the general good store here in town. But, yes, we did speak. I have ordered what you need and have it back at the shop. Follow me," the middle-aged blond woman spoke, chuckling softly as she moved toward her shop.

"Is that your pet, or a lost wolf?" Abbey commented, seeing the wolf follow Jane.

"He's not a pet, nor is he lost. I was lost when trying to find my cabin and he was totally going to kill me, but he followed me home and I've been feeding him since. Just because he's accompanying me doesn't mean I'm his master," Jane reasoned, giving Kalt her attention. Her features softened as she smiled toward him.

"Animals were designed to be subservient and hunted by humans," Abbey spoke, her eyes fixed over the wolf.

Offended, Jane crossed her arms and glanced at Abbey quickly. "That's not true."

"It is in these parts, dear. Besides, once you give an animal affection, you'll see that they think they are equivalent to their master. The only real freedoms any animal has is the ability to serve and supply a human's appetite," the woman spat.

Exhaling haughtily, Jane drew her head back and lifted her boot up and slammed it down on the snowy terrain, "It's that attitude that causes humans to think we're any more important than grain of sand. Also, it reflects the same mindset that Loki had in New York."

Offended, the storeowner approached Jane nearly ready to throttle her, "How dare you compare my insignificant opinion to that genocidal monster!"

"Yes, your opinion is very insignificant. No one can begin to fathom such a being as Loki, but there is more to the story that what the public is telling us," pausing, Jane stepped forward in front of Kalt. "I personally know that because I know Thor."

"I think your business is done here. Take your things and get out of my sight," Abbey commanded.

"Trust me, I won't bother you again," Jane countered, entering the store and collecting her things. She made sure to leave just enough money for her things before leaving.

vvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvv

The heat of the fire warmed Jane's skin, positioned a few feet away from the fireplace in the main bedroom. Since arriving back at her cabin, she hadn't spoken a word. She was supposed to continue her work tonight, but she was no longer in the mood.

She sighed softly, the sound breaking the deafening silence that had settled throughout the cabin.

The utterance had caused Kalt to lift his head to give her his attention.

Jane's eyes remained settled within the glowing tangerine tones within the embers before her. Her skin glowed a passive orange hue, acting almost like a mirror.

With each flicker from the fire, Jane's heart grew tighter.

As a single tear fell from her brown hues, her attention fell over Kalt, who rested on the floor only a few feet away from her.

"Have you ever felt like even your home wasn't welcoming to you?" she mentioned against the strain of her voice. Disgusted with today's events, she shook her head as her eyes distanced themselves from reality.

"Nowhere I've gone to has made me feel like I'm a part of the niche: a part of humanity. And then I met Thor! I thought I'd finally found someone to share my whole self with…until he had to leave back to Asgard to fight Loki," she whispered, pausing to collect her thoughts together.

"He promised me he'd come back, but when he did, he didn't even try to find me. I feel like he thinks I'm as breakable as a piece of thread; yet, doesn't thread hold the very fabric of the clothes he wears to protect himself?" Jane continued, sighing, "No, it's too late to be bitter about Thor's ruined promise. It's obvious that I have to find someone else."

Finally, she extracted herself from her absent thoughts, setting her eyes over the black beast, causing her to smile slightly, "Oddly, you're a much better companion than any other I've met. Sadly, you can't talk back to me. There's a grand joke in the universe, and I am positive it's me."

Kalt whined, edging toward her, but still beyond reach. Jane shifted and lied down on the rug, tired. "Goodnight, Kalt."

vvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvv

Loki shifted back into his normal form and sat beside the sleeping form of the mortal woman who had single handedly asphyxiated all resentment from him.

He felt himself turning into a bauble before his own eyes.

Sighing, he inched toward her and moved an arm underneath her neck and underneath her knees, picking her limp form up. For a moment, he simply admired her tormented, peaceful expression.

Eventually, he moved toward the bed, gently placing her into his usual spot on the large bed. Loki bent down and sat on the floor beside her, simply staring at her.

She would never know what she was doing to him.

Although they'd spent the last three weeks together, he still refused to allow himself to be close to her. He reasoned that she was a pathetic, weak mortal, but then she had stood up against a raging wolf and an angered woman—all for him.

He argued that she would never understand the true pain of idle loneliness and indifference, yet she confessed the same thoughts he'd been inflicted with from the time he let go of the Allfather's staff.

Sighing, he decided to touch her cheek, his fingers as light as air and his presence as unnoticeable as a shadow under the stars.

Swallowing, Loki quietly climbed into bed and shifted back into his wolf form.

Kalt, she called him. _Cold_, they would be no more, he thought as he rested against her form. Eventually, she responded to his proximity by dazedly throwing her arm over his wolf body.

She was warm—so warm.

With that as his last thought, he fell into a peaceful sleep.

* * *

_**To be continued...**_

* * *

Please review!


	4. Chapter 4

**Author's Note:** Oh, dear. I had so much fun with this chapter. What will happen next? I'm curiously cautious about the reaction to the middle section of this chapter. I hope it adds a bit of intrigue to this story (as much as I think it does!). enjoy! Please review! I love hearing what you think! Thanks!

**Disclaimer(s):** I do not own Thor, the Avengers, or anything regarding any fandom. Thanks.

* * *

_"I cannot be awake for nothing looks to me as it did before,  
Or else I am awake for the first time, and all before has been a mean sleep."_

~Walt Whitman

* * *

**Chapter 4**

Warm rays of sunlight burst through the cracks of the blinds. Jane woke up from the ray's warm touch across her skin as she stretched, her arm lamely pushing against a rather soft, silky surface of fur.

Turning her head, Jane saw Kalt resting beside her. Her spine straightened as she gasped, moving away from the wolf momentarily. "How did I get into the bed?" she questioned herself quietly.

As she stood facing the bed, a hand lifted to cup the shape of her mouth. Eyes wide in wonder, shock, and something indecipherable, Jane took one hesitant step back toward the bed, her knee bending to be supported by the mattress, and stretched out her hand to feel Kalt's luxurious coat.

Shaking, her hands took the opportunity to appreciate the glossy black fur. Her breathing regulated itself at an alarming rate, and the pounding of each heartbeat assimilated accordingly. Almost as quickly as she brought her hand to the wolf's coat, she snatched it away again.

The glorious texture of his fur still tingled across her skin, like it branded itself onto her. Raising her hand to her eye level, she gathered her brows toward her nose and then released them, one rising higher than the other.

"What?" she murmured.

A brief sensation of happiness rang through her, permeating from the marrow of her bones. Then, a wash of calmness rushed toward her heart and lungs, stilling the erratic paces. Finally, another wave of sensation ran toward the tips of her toes, causing them to curl.

And as quickly as the feeling came, it was gone.

"What was that?" she cautiously inquired.

Easing her features, Jane moved back onto the bed, her knees folding within each other. "Kalt," she called softly, gently.

Responding, the wolf yawned and stretched in a similar fashion as she had. Then, unexpectedly, Kalt whined, bringing his head around to see her—as if he was missing being next to her.

Kalt then got up on all four legs and planted himself parallel to her, no more than a foot away from her.

"You've got to be the weirdest creature I've ever been acquainted with," Jane said. "Do you know how I got up here? Usually when I take one step anywhere near this bed you growl at me."

The black beast simply gaped at her blankly. The lack of action caused her left eye to twitch irritably, "That's right, you can't talk back. I really need to find a better hobby than talking to things that literally will never reply."

Kalt snorted disapprovingly and raised its posture to be exactly level to her. Her dull, drowsy brown eyes were ensnared by the new shades smooth, refined cerulean. Her breath caught from the intense stare he gave her. Their proximity caused even her heart to stutter.

"Seeing as how I've never been allowed this close to you, I'm going to guess that you're _finally_ comfortable around me?" she smiled.

Kalt panted a bit and then raised his front left paw. After a few moments, Jane shook her head to force herself to look away from him eyes and caught his paw, caution thrown to the wind at this point.

"You're rather charming when you're not trying to kill me," she pointedly told him.

Kalt whined lowly and caused her to laugh. Upon laughing, he growled. "Sorry, I don't mean to laugh at you. You're just so dashingly adorable sometimes."

Jane's free hand rose to the side of Kalt's head, feeling the whisper-softness of the fur. The left side of her mouth twitched and lowered her head to his, closing her eyes.

"I know you're only a wolf, but you're really great company," she told him, opening her eyes and backing away after kissing the top of Kalt's head lightly.

A knock at the door dragged her back to reality. Slowly, she stood up and walked out of the room, Kalt eventually following behind her.

vvvvvvvvvvvvvvv

Natasha was _livid._ Despite actual progress of their planning and finding those who Loki pissed off when the Chitauri army fell, Romanov felt as if the atoms within her being would explode like individual fireworks—slow and tedious.

The red head stalked down the hall and shoved everyone in her way—and not in her way—to the nearest wall, including Clint and Thor.

Without apology, she continued to rush through the halls of the flying SHIELD base until she found her target.

Her right eye twitched for most of the trip from her room on the third floor of residential quarters to the lower levels of the ship to the labs.

In her left hand was a single wine glass with a single note. The small piece of parchment was scribbled with messy, but legible flourishes that read, _Might your uneasiness be complimented?_

A male mentioned a passing and casual greeting as she pulled herself from her loud, clamoring thoughts. Stopping before Tony, she lifted her hand and placed it roughly on his ear, pulling him along the last hall before Dr. Banner's lab.

"What is this, Banner?" she spat, holding up the wine glass.

Twitching his brow and flattening his lips together, Bruce stood up and placed his hands in his pockets, casually leaning on a stationary table while crossing one leg over the other.

"Romanov, if I had any idea of what you were speaking, I am positive you'd be the first to know,"

"Dr. Banner, this isn't funny," her tone vicious.

Privately, he chuckled, one hand coming up to cup his mouth while he glanced away momentarily. Regaining himself, he continued to forge a condescending expression.

"I believe, and correct me if I'm wrong—I have been away from the civilized world for a while now—but isn't that not a wine glass?"

Pulling Tony, still holding him by his ear, she tapped her foot against the cold tile floor. Tilting her head, her eyes narrowed and shifted toward Tony, "Did he put you up to this? Do you think this is funny? The world is quite possibly on high alert, and all you can do is joke around?"

Drawing his face back, he folded his arms together and shook his head, "No one put me up to anything, Natasha. And even if the world ends, there's room to try to find something positive."

"Can I go now?" Tony called, obviously enjoying the odd turn of events.

Natasha sent him a chilling look and cast him away, though he still lingered. Rolling her eyes, she withdrew her gun and pointed it to Dr. Banner. "Need I remind you that we have the world's worst anger management case aboard?"

Holding up both hands, Tony smirked, his expression cocky like always. "Fine, I get it. I'm an unwelcome spectator. That's fine." Nonchalantly, Stark casually walked away from the lab and Natasha closed and locked the door behind him, putting her gun back in its place on her left hip.

Quickly raising and lowering her left brow, she crossed her arms. Her attention fixed back on Banner who hadn't moved once during her interaction with Stark. In fact, he looked rather entertained.

"Is that your private logic that keeps the Hulk at bay, or are you playing some sort of game?" she inquired, her tone slightly less interrogative.

Never moving from his position against the table, he lifted his head and looked away as if collecting his words carefully. "I've never been good at games."

Walking toward him, she placed her free hand not clutching the glass against his steady throat, feeling the fluid rhythm of his pulse in her palm. "Answer me," she commanded as her eyes enraptured his. Her eyes continually moved over his, searching, curious, and wary.

"You really don't fear my alter, do you?" he murmured, his deep voice penetrating through his throat to tremble against her relaxing palm.

Narrowing her eyes she lowered her hand to rest on his chest, clutching the fabric of his lab coat tightly. "Is this some sort of test, Dr. Banner?" Natasha countered.

"More like an experiment," he replied softly, his arms falling back so his hands slid into his pockets once more.

Softening her eyes and features, curiosity forced her to move closer to him and ask, "And how is it going so far?"

Bluntly, he retorted, "Depends."

Growing eager to know what he meant, she set the glass on the table behind him and said, "On what, Banner?"

Smirking savagely, he lifted a hand and rested it over the area between her collarbones lifted on her chest, pushing her away only a few inches. He quickly turned and revealed the glass to her, shoving it in her direction. Closing the short distance between them, Bruce swallowed and truly smiled.

"On you, Romanov. On you," he mentioned.

"I don't get it," she lied.

"You're not stupid," he spoke matter-of-factly.

"Compared to you, I'd argue that I was."

Shrugging, he chuckled lowly, "So I know a few things about gamma rays."

"To me, that's impressive."

His smile grew, "Then, that's all that matters, I suppose. But you're still not stupid."

Struggling with the smile that threatened, she sighed. "Why are you doing this, Bruce?"

Suddenly, his resolve darkened, but he still smiled slightly. Looking her directly in the eyes, he told her, "Because you're the only woman that I've tried to kill who doesn't hate me."

"Dr. Banner, I don't harbor grudges," she replied quietly, casting an interested glance down at the wine glass still dwindling before her. She brought her attention back to him, though.

"No, but you get what paying a debt is."

"You don't owe me anything," she whispered, her eyes momentarily vulnerable. She'd never have anyone tell her of owing her anything before. She didn't know how to handle it.

"The least I owe to you is a drink on me," pausing, he appeared embarrassed, "That is, not _on_ me, but…you get it."

"Because I'm not stupid?" she offered, a smile stinging her lips. She shook her head when he nodded. "Is this how you normally ask a girl out?"

Dipping both brows down toward his nose, he shook his head, casually smirking, "I'd like to think I was as smooth as Tony, but, uh, yes. I used to not be as socially awkward."

"And when did you become socially awkward?"

"Well, when I started to have two beings within one body," he joked.

When she laughed, she tried to appear apologetic. "That's not funny."

"Say yes, Natasha—if only to make up for mocking my misery?" he asked as his features baring a new vulnerability.

Looking at him, she lifted a brow and in reply, she snatched the glass from his lazy grasp. After another quiet moment, she turned and walked away from a truly content Dr. Banner.

vvvvvvvvvvvvvvv

Without thinking, Jane rushed to the door to see who it was.

Opening the wooded door, Jane saw Erik Selvig in its threshold.

Fondly, her features lightened and she instantly wrapped her arms around him. Tears stung her eyes. Closing her eyes, Her hands claimed the collar of his thick jacket as he held her tight.

"What are you doing here? I heard Loki hurt you! How did you escape?" Jane rushed, her voice cracking.

"There is no time for that. You must tell me what you're doing here this instant," Erik ordered.

Concern rose deep in Jane's belly. Stepping back, she withdrew herself from him, eyes calculative. "Why? Who told you I was doing anything here aside from recovering from my confinement?"

"Jane, this is bigger than the two of us. Do not go seeking out wormholes for your selfish logic of wanting to see more than this life. Be grateful. Be anything other than determined with this," he retorted, crossing the threshold without an invitation, as he closed the front door.

"I have seen firsthand what we would face if another wormhole is opened."

"I heard," she acidly mentioned, "about everything. It was you who requested to be put with the Tesseract, instead of their first choice: me! You told SHIELD to take me away to the Alps. I could have seen what you did. I could have been a part of history, and you shoved me away to keep me safe! Erik, I'm no longer a child. There was no reason to protect me from Loki."

"He used me to kill hundreds of humans and quite possibly the entire world. You think that is glorious?" he raised, stepping toward her as she stepped back.

Bitterly, she scoffed, "At least I would have been there working with anything. Instead you steal all of my research and hand it over to SHIELD, while you shut me out! You never called, wrote, or emailed me. I was all by myself in a failing world. I needed anyone to tell me that it would be okay."

"Jane, this obsession with researching unreasonable theories would have gotten you killed. Science isn't worth your life."

"How dare you tell me that? Science _is_ my life—my reason for life! It's all I have anymore. Why would you say that to me?" Jane stuttered through her shivering, broken voice.

"Jane, nothing is worth your life. Loki took hold of my will and paved my life in such a way that will mark me as a murderer."

"Loki gave you a reason for existence. Sure it was a hollow mirage, but at least you had a purpose."

Erik sighed, unbelieving, "Unbelievable. I envy you. You envy me."

"You know me, so in a twisted way this all makes sense," Jane countered, her head shaking.

"What is that?" Erik randomly asked, pointing down as Kalt.

Sending him an irritable glance, Jane knelt down and held out her hand toward the wolf as the animal obliged by moving toward her for her to pet him. Jane smiled, instantly relieved. "_His_ name is Kalt. He nearly killed me when I was lost finding this place. We've formed an odd bond, but here we are."

Grabbing her arms, he pulled her up hastily. "Jane, you do not need to become a sick version of Snow White."

"So I'm not allowed to have anything as my ally?" she amended.

"That's not the point. With Loki about, who knows what dangers you'll have in your path. There is no room for nature to align as your friend."

"Exactly. Loki is out there somewhere. Focus on finding him. What if he is still connected to you somehow? You'll lead him here."

"So you fear him?" he asked, impatient.

Shoving him away from her, Jane tucked a stray section of hair behind her petite ear. Lowering her head once, her eyes directed themselves over the cabin. "Fear is a bit of an awkward term these days."

"What term is most appropriate, Jane?"

"Fear, but not in the context you use it," she moved to sit down on the steps leading the upper story of the cabin, staring out at the white world outside. "I can't really explain it perfectly, but in plain English, I fear familiarity. Science requires an open mind, so I thrive on change and foreign anomalies."

Raising a brow, he joined her on the stairs, their shoulders touching briefly, "So you don't fear him."

"I just don't fear what I don't know. Honestly, I find that to be ignorant."

"Your logic is flawed."

Smirking, she tapped her shoulder against his, "I'd say the same thing about you."

Silence crammed between them. Jane reached between two pillars holding the railing for the steps to touch Kalt again. After stroking his fur succinctly, Jane stood up and turned toward Erik and smiled deviously, "Want to see what I've been working on? It's almost night time."

"Why does it have to be night?"

Shrugging innocently, she shrugged, "You'll see."

vvvvvvvvvvvvvvvv

"The aurora should appear just over this ledge if my calculations are correct. The solar wind has been active in this area since I arrived. There has to be come connection to a wormhole on some level," Jane explained, shoving her papers in Erik's face eagerly.

She'd always been girlish around new theories and the results.

They waited for the sun to completely melt in the horizon. After about thirty minutes more, the aurora appeared, streaming through the air like a banner.

In awe, she moved behind a large mechanism that impressed Erik. "This generator should stir the atoms with enough force to react with the solar wind and the magnetosphere to connect the aurora to the wormhole. At least I hope it does."

"You're sure this is a good idea?" Erik reasoned as she turned on the machine.

Jane looked helpless, shaking, "No, but we'll find out."

Erik was about to tell her to stop when she turned on the mechanism. Indeed, the atmosphere surrounding the aurora and the cave felt charged, different, light, yet heavy. Jane's smile washed from her features when the mountain began to shake.

Her brows scrunched toward the center of her face as she hurried to collect her papers in her satchel. "Something's not right."

"You think?" Erik spoke, irritable and fearful. "We need to leave. Now."

"But-" she argued.

"No! You don't get to die now," he said, throwing her over his shoulder.

"Wait! No! _Please!_ Stop, Erik. We'll be…" pausing, she saw the outline of an entity, no two entities, that did not appear to have a regular human shape. "_Run!_"

And he did: all the way through the dark tunnel and into the cabin. Kalt chased them from behind and didn't stop to take one look back. Jane had the view of Erik's opposite, so when she saw a disfigured monster coming from the cabin a few hundred yards behind, she screamed.

"Go!" she ordered, followed by, "Put me down, I can run faster than you can with me weighting you down!"

"Fine by me," he said, still clutching her hand.

Jane snuck a peek behind her to make sure Kalt was following them. He was.

Rounding the corner, Jane saw Nick Fury in front of a small helicopter. She stopped dead in her tracks.

"This was a set up? No, _no!_"

"There's no time for this, we have to leave! You'll be okay, I promise."

Her eyes watered with heavy tears. Shaking her head, Fury rushed toward her and forced her within the chopper.

"Kalt! Come!" Jane uttered through her sobs, though the wolf was already on the helicopter shortly before her.

"I don't think so, mutt," Fury mentioned.

"There's no time. He's all right. Just _fly!" _Erik ordered the pilot.

He lifted the aircraft off of the ground and the four of them were off.

Jane continued to sob, scooting away from Erik's worried hands. All she could do was glance out the nearby window and see the cabin erupt in an explosion. Her whole existence shattered. What was going on?

Slowly, she cast a horrified glance at Kalt, who'd put his head in her hands, whining and licking her wrist. Her breathing halted. "Oh, my…what have I done?"

The pilot shouted to Fury, "Sir, there is a woman oddly dressed following us."

"Keep flying," was all he ordered as he watched the nearby town ignite in embers in their distance.

For the second time in a month and a half, he feared for the world's fate.

* * *

_**To be continued...**_

* * *

Please review! What do you think will happen next? Stay tuned!


	5. Chapter 5

**Author's Note:** I'd written this chapter about three times. I erased it all and started from scratch. I love this result! I hope there is no confusion in this chapter. Also, I'm going through my other chapters and altering Romanov to Romanoff. Apparently it's spelled that way. Haha. Enjoy!

**Disclaimer(s):** I do not own Thor, the Avengers, or anything regarding any fandom. Thanks.

* * *

_"Give me odorous at sunrise a garden of beautiful flowers where I can walk undisturbed."_

~Walt Whitman

* * *

**Chapter 5**

The whole base was on high alert. All television screens and computer grids displayed news feeds from across the globe. The few Chitauri that weren't killed (or new ones, for no one could be absolutely sure), rampaged through various towns and cities across Norway, Alaska, and Canada.

So far, those areas were where they were contained.

For now.

All of the Avengers prepared themselves for another battle, but they'd received word from Fury (who no one had noticed was missing) to remain on the base for further instruction.

Whatever he had, the Avengers knew it had to be important—vital.

Employees, soldiers, and personnel darted across the entire ship with no real destination except to prepare for when Fury arrived.

Presently, Barton ran through the lower levels of the ship in order to locate Thor, Dr. Banner, and Natasha. As he ran through the halls, almost every person told him to meet on the bridge in ten minutes for briefing.

Urgently, he entered the labs, his face moving around to see any signs of any of his comrades. No such luck.

Frantically, he continued to search with unease gnawing at his chest.

vvvvvvvvvvvvvvv

Thor walked in front of Natasha. By her side, Dr. Banner joined her.

"We will not allow any more mortal lives to be lost—no matter the cost," Thor raised, his pace more eager to reach the bridge than his two comrades.

"I agree that something must be done, but how did they come back?" Romanoff added, her black suit tight against her curves.

Bruce put his glasses on and held up a small tablet that projected a 3-D screen five inches above the device, watching the news and various reports made public. "Loki has to be involved," he said, anger tickling his senses.

The Hulk had some unfinished business with the god of mischief.

"He would still be too weak even for an Asgardian," Thor commented idly, perplexed by something occupying his attention inwardly.

"Dr. Banner, I have no plausible speculations, but we can't completely rule your brother out, either," Natasha replied. The three walked and from an adjacent corridor of the lower lever labs, Clint ran into the woman clad in black.

"Natasha! I've been searching high and low for you," he said, his expression odd. Raking a hand over his head, he held his bow absently in his right hand.

"I was down here with Dr. Banner," she told him, her nerves kicking her gut. After a while, she added, "and Thor."

Muscles working his features, Clint frowned, gaping toward Bruce, "Why would you be down here? These are just labs and you're no scientist."

"That's neither here, nor there, Agent Barton," she countered, ignoring his concerns. "What is important is that we hurry to the bridge for our briefing."

"Thanks for telling me what I already know, Agent Romanoff," he rudely retorted.

Grabbing his upper arm, she tugged him, both halting, "What's your issue?"

Raking another hand over his head, Clint diverted his light eyes away from where she stood. "Nothing," he began. Shoving away from her grasp, his voice froze when he finished, "Let's just go."

Idle, Romanoff bit her cheek and stomped her toes against the smooth floor. Catching up, she decided to focus on more important things. Banner joined her again and placed a hand on her shoulder, snatching her focus for a second. Her head shifted to view Dr. Banner.

"Thank you," was all she replied, comforted slightly.

Removing his hand from her, Bruce passed her and caught up to Thor.

vvvvvvvvvvvvvvvv

Tony held his left arm up as his foot tapped rather dramatically over the shining tile floor of the briefing room. He'd already irritated Romanoff because when the last four of the Avengers entered the room, the Iron Man was impatiently killing time by spinning in a chair recklessly about the room.

Sighing, he threw his hands up, "How long are we going to sit by while earth becomes a graveyard?"

Steve Rogers stood by the glass that overlooked the bridge of this massive air base, his arms behind his back. "I was told that he would be here over an hour ago. That is all I know."

Thor set his hammer on the large conference table and grunted, frustrated. "We cannot idly watch as all of Midgard is thrown into turmoil."

"Sorry I'm late, Avengers," Fury called from the entrance, securing the door. Beside him was Erik Selvig.

"What in the world is going on out there, Fury?" Dr. Banner inquired, taking his glasses off and wiping his tired eyes roughly.

"The hell if I know. I just took it upon myself to locate Jane. I did, and she is here with us," Nick admitted.

Thor sprang up and tensed, "Where is she?"

Nick rubbed his bare head and faintly swallowed, "That's the irony in this whole scenario. Loki had nothing to do with this mess. _This _is all Jane's doing."

"I don't understand," Thor quietly remarked as he reached out for his hammer, power fluidly coursing through his fingertips.

"She found out how to access wormholes, which has seemed to trigger other ones in other parts of the world. How is not important. We need to figure out how to close them off for good," he said.

Dr. Banner and Tony both rose at the mention of her finding out how to access other worlds. They mutually knew her to be an intelligent woman.

"You mean she found the way to other worlds and in turn we get to kick more ass? I like her already," Tony outwardly thought.

Natasha pounded a fist on the table. "Don't make light of this, Stark."

"Why can't we try and have fun?" Tony argued, his features fit for party.

"Ladies," Nick shouted.

"If they are ladies, then I must be a man," Romanoff starkly spouted.

"Where is _she?_" Thor raised.

Letting his current breath flow through his teeth, Fury met Thor's gaze. "Since she escaped our base in the Alps undetected, I placed her in a similar cell as Loki so she _cannot_ go anywhere."

"_WHAT?"_ Thor menacingly spat, hastily flying to Fury and pinning him against the glass, his hammer high above his head ready to attack. "Jane is not a criminal, Fury! Is this the sort of treatment she received in the Alps? It is no wonder she fled. Why was I not made aware of this before?"

"Thor, I realize you care for the girl, but she was in the direct line of Loki's power rage. SHIELD kept her off the grid using less than standard methods. But she lives," Nick contended eagerly, his exposed eye narrowing.

"You dare treat a friend of mine like cattle, like a subservient slave?" Thor refuted, eyes like daggers even though he no longer held Fury. He lowered his hammer. Sadly, Thor moved toward the door and halted when someone called his name.

It was Erik Selvig. "Don't go to her, yet. You're needed here more, Thor."

As his throat caught like lead in the ocean, he struggled to breathe properly. "Fine, but I shall not forgive either of you. Ever."

"What do we have to do?" Clint spoke, breaking his silence, finally.

vvvvvvvvvvvvvvvv

_He had to flee. He feared what would become of him should he stay—endure the cracking bones simply to draw another breath in a way that didn't feel worse than his father's disappointment._

_What had he become? How had he reached this moment without realizing how truly numb he was: lost, forgotten, abandoned._

_And not just by his family and his failing army, but by himself, too._

_Not desiring to reflect inwardly of his character quite yet, Loki rose from his position on the floor, tears flowing like an immortal river amidst the shadows of the stars. Crying out, he steadied himself by continually breathing._

_He needed time. He needed stealth. He needed…something._

_Anything._

_First, he had to heal and stay away from the notice of Thanos and The Other—for forever preferably, but at least until he could once more defend himself._

_Fading away from the demolished tower, Loki dropped onto a white, cold soft substance and eventually recalled it as snow. On his back facing the stars, he wept uncontrollably._

_He felt hollow. More than that, he felt nothing. Silence, a stilled hunger chewing him up without regard to his aching heart. _

_He only existed: a true waste of presence to any of the nine realms._

_Words would not fit across his lips. If he could form a mode of language, he would cry out for his father, for _Odin.

_There was nothing left for him to live or die for._

_For the first time in his many millennia, he felt true agony._

_Even worse, he was indifferent to it._

_So, he fell asleep lying on his feeble back, absorbed by the purity of each falling snowflakes._

_vvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvv_

_He'd been asleep. He hadn't known for the duration, but only felt that it had been quite a while._

_His wounds felt like they'd healed some, but for the most part, he was still in pain and still very much alone._

_He was resigned to his fate. He deserved no less._

_Testing to see if perhaps he could speak, he moved the muscles framing his lips to fit the word, "Odin."_

_The pale god sat up and winced at the intolerable aggravating sensation at his back. Unconsciously, he wept._

_His chest heaved, struggling for breath. Each inhale was a horrible and formidable task. _

_"Father, please help me. Guide me to where I am meant to be. I can bear this no longer!" he quietly reflected, hoping the Allfather would hear his words._

_No response._

_Shaking his head, he swiped the last tear falling from his face._

_He could not be in this form. Too much attention would be drawn to him._

_He closed his eyes and concentrated long enough to shift himself into an obsidian beast. Just as his transformation completed, footsteps gathered in the distance. Curious, he moved toward the commotion quietly._

_Observing a very familiar face, he began to corner her into a tree. His heart, uncommonly slow one instant, ignited._

vvvvvvvvvvvvvvvv

Alarm shoved Jane's eyes to open. Gasping quietly, she shot up and surveyed the room—no cell—she was in.

Glass surrounded her, held by the perfectly rounded shape of the exposed space.

"What just happened?" she panicked, trying to piece together where she was.

Had she fallen asleep on the way here?

No, she reasoned. She'd been drugged. "Where am I?" Jane questioned, inwardly frightened, but composed externally.

Her soft, light chocolate eyes dilated as a shiver shook her spine from her shoulders down to her hips.

What had she seen? It was not her own memory, but Loki's. And if that was the case…

Anxiety gathered her nerves and exploded through her bloodstream. Slowly, she turned to find Kalt still resting.

Quickly, she backed up, momentarily forgetting about the enclosure. She roughly rammed into the thick glass, cursing upon impact.

SHIELD had boxed her in with the very person—god—they were allegedly protecting her from! This proved her theory about her being the epicenter of a universal joke.

Shaking her head, she coiled her fists. Had he tried to manipulate her? Reflecting, Jane hadn't recalled a time when she felt weird or different. She'd been herself during the entirety of their time together.

Frustrated, she was determined to find a way out. First, she examined what appeared to be a large door. Nothing: wires, switchboards, nails. The surface of the bright metal structure was smooth.

She'd have to look elsewhere.

"The floor, maybe?"

Cursorily, she fell to her knees and winced at the sharp pain nipping at her knees. Temporarily, she ignored it. Running her fingers over the vicinity of the flooring, she eventually found a hollow dip in the floor and lightly pounded the back of her hand against the cold surface, listening to find an odd change in frequency.

Leaning back up to relieve the irritation at her back, she deeply inhaled. Closing her eyes, felt a squared section, as if hiding a switch underneath. Firmly, she pounded her fist against the small square section of metal material.

"Very nice," Jane murmured as she took one glance at the wires. "One of these has to open that door."

"I'd be careful, Jane. This structure is designed to fall from its containment outside," a smooth, quiet voice broke from behind.

"Hush, Loki," she commanded. Thinking better of her words, she amended, "How do you know that?"

Hearing a small chuckle, his airy masculine voice filled the infected silence, a remedy against a shallow wound. "This was where they kept me after capturing me in Germany."

"Oh," she replied. Still focused on escape, she bit her lower lip.

"Won't you look at me, Jane?" he inquired, hinting at a vacant vulnerability.

As her throat tightened, Jane's brow twitched. "One problem at a time. I would shift back before anyone else notices you're here."

"You're protecting me? Why?" Loki curiously questioned, his voice somewhat slack.

"Because you have answers to the many questions I now have," she responded, her voice guarded. "That, and it's the least I could do for you for not killing me."

When he did not reply, she gathered he shifted back.

"Okay, the green wire or the purple wire?" Jane spoke as she slithered her fingers away from the other wires. "In the other cell, the red was the alarm, the light blue set off the weapons, the dark blue was for the lights, and the yellow was for the intercom. These are identical wires, except these two."

She quickly stole a glance to Kalt, sighing. "If I pull the wrong one and we fall to our doom, just know that I'm sorry in advance." Nervous, she reached into the hole in the floor and, hand shaking violently, tugged on the vibrant green wire, her heart stopping as she closed her eyes tightly.

Hearing a disturbance from outside the compound, the door eased open. "I'm really good at this whole prison break thing," Jane said as she felt a wave of giddy arrogance flush through her.

"Let's go."

Exiting from the compound, Jane took in a deep breath and looked over to her left and once at her right, seeing a door up a set of steps that circled around the room.

"I don't know if you're well enough to use your powers, but please, for my sake, don't do anything," she suggested, pleading down toward the wolf form.

Without seeing his response, she ran up the metal steps and slammed her fist against a large button nearest to the way out of the circular room, ushering the door open. Peeking over the threshold, Jane observed the hallway, seeing no one. "Really, no guards?"

Opting to go left, Jane and Kalt hastily ran down past a few labs. It took all of Jane's focus to ease her attention away from the interesting things she saw in the vacated rooms. One door was even open, but she shook her head as soon as she heard Kalt growl accordingly.

Her long hair flowed with each rotation of her head.

"Do you have any idea where the way out would be?" she whispered.

Before either of them could think another thought, someone halted behind her, calling her name desperately.

Shifting her stance, she glanced over her shoulder seeing Thor.

Her features would be indecipherable to Thor, no matter how long he tried decoding her expression. "Jane Foster!" he shouted as he strode toward her in a matter of seconds, bringing her in a rough embrace.

"Are you well, Jane?"

As the tension eased, and she grew more comfortable, a smile pried her lips from the thin line they'd once rested in. "Thor! I've been better, but that's not important right now."

"Of course it is," he uttered, hunger wildly vibrating even the molecules around them. Gooseflesh tightened her arms and she suppressed her natural reaction toward him: attraction.

He'd not come for her, and she would do well to remember that.

Her eyes had not fully silenced the comfortable affection she had placed on Thor. Noticing this, Thor reached for her lips and brought them to his rough, dry ones.

Moving his chin awkwardly, Jane simply complimented his movements by remaining still, submissive. Jane cared for this man, still. So she could not bring herself to completely reject him, yet.

Her eyes never closed. In fact, the gooseflesh ceased upon their joining. As he pulled away, he gathered her into his arms and smiled brightly, ignoring her completely even though it was she that made him smile.

"Who is this?" he hesitantly queried.

Looking up at the burly god of thunder, she lightly replied, "His name is Kalt. He nearly killed me in the woods before I arrived to my cabin before I talked him out of it."

He chuckled.

"Where are the others?"

"Others?" he responded quickly. Shaking his bright head, he sniggered, "The other Avengers? They are likely chasing after me. I left the briefing early. I had to see you."

While they had a moment away from others, Jane pried herself out of his arms. "Thor, things can't be the same."

"Of course they can," he reassured.

Shaking her head, she bit her lip, "I waited or you for months and months. Then New York happened, and you never sought me out. At all."

"Loki set out to distract me, Jane. You surely cannot fault me for sustaining peace throughout Midgard," Thor articulated.

"Well, when you say it that way, no. But…"

Many sets of footsteps cluttered the silence that had settled between the three. Jane turned, separating herself from Thor, and stood a few inches away from Kalt.

"Dr. Foster."

Jane's eyes fixed over Fury. "You're literally the last person I'd like to see at the moment."

"You escaped, I assume? How?" he ordered, authority bleeding from his words.

"A secret. You understand what those are. Stealing my work and my partner so you could engineer a new breed of nuclear arms? How pathetic," she fought.

"Jane, avoid speaking to me like that. How did you find that information?"

Raising the corner of her mouth and crossing her arms, she replied, "Literacy."

"Dr. Foster, I have not the time nor the patience to deal with your sore personality."

"Excuse me, Fury. I don't seem to care all that much. I'm sure the sentiment is mutual," she countered, "We mutually want answers. You talk, and I'll talk."

Coming out from behind the tall, dark-skinned man, Tony Stark reached for her hand and shook it, "Dr. Foster, it is truly an honor to meet you. I'd love nothing more than to work with that sore personality."

Forcing her hand from Stark's, Jane opened her mouth when Thor shoved her behind him and glared at Tony. She simply rolled her eyes.

"Fine," Nick Fury spat. "I talk. You talk."

* * *

_**To be continued...**_

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Please review! What do you think will happen next? Stay tuned!


	6. Chapter 6

**Author's Note:** In this chapter, a lot happens! I'm trying to incorporate every character in the avengers with their own subplot, if you couldn't tell by now. Lol. I'm still constructing Steve Rogers, but he will have a larger role in the next few chapters. Please review! I'm really writing these chapters for you, so please give me feedback? Thanks! Enjoy!

**Disclaimer(s):** I do not own Thor, the Avengers, or anything regarding any fandom. Thanks.

* * *

_"The habit of giving only enhances the desire to give."_

~Walt Whitman

* * *

**Chapter 6**

The Avengers all crowded in their makeshift drafting room. Tony waved his hands through the 3-D projectors and the group surveyed local broadcasts throughout the world.

Dr. Banner continually tapped a tablet as he sat opposite of Natasha and Clint, who scoped out possible procedural devices and where they could begin to contain this outbreak.

Bruce examined the pair over the top of his glasses, though he would break his stare occasionally to appear productive with his tablet.

Natasha held a paper as Clint leaned in closer to read it along with her. As his eyes scanned the parchment, she eased away, the distance too harsh on her private heart. Biting her lip, she glanced down, seeing a scar.

"How are you, Barton?" she quietly, guarded, asked. The group unanimously knew that he hadn't taken Agent Coulson's death well. No one had, really.

No even looking at her, he flipped the page and continued to peer at the paper. "Let's not do this, Natasha."

"Someone needs to talk about New York. We were all there—all of us. So talk," the Black Window pointed out, gathering all of the Avengers' attention.

"Consequently, I second that notion. Some of us require more validation than others, but our best course of action is remaining close, allies, brothers and sister in battle," Thor supported, gazing over to Romanoff and nodding.

Everyone could tell he was in better spirits because of Jane's proximity.

"Personally, I find it rude to pry into my business," Hawkeye mentioned.

Before the moisture collected too noticeably to the others, Natasha threw the papers toward the table and stalked out of the room for time to gather her composure.

"Should we address the elephant in the room or not?" Tony mentioned, his tone serious. As the other Avengers sent their notice toward him, he simply swallowed, adjusted his features with a sarcastic frown, "Why is there a wolf on board?"

"The creature is Dr. Foster's companion from Alaska," Steve Rogers mentioned softly, his gaze fixing over Dr. Barton, gathering his things and standing up.

"And just where are you going?" Clint asked, his tone like liquid fire.

Brow rising, Bruce shrugged and replied. "I'm going to check on Romanoff. She's right in what she spoke of. We'll only be divided if we don't start talking. I know I need to at least one other person or god in this group."

"I'll go after, then. You sit down," Barton revised, his gaze never leaving the other man's.

The doctor simply smirked, "You're the one who sent her out of the room." When Clint didn't say anything else, Bruce simply walked out of the room following the direction Natasha had gone toward.

vvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvv

The rough current of the wind seemed to calm Romanoff's chaotic pulse. Deeply breathing, she allowed herself to be soothed by the temperature of the ship's altitude.

Opening her eyes, Natasha waited for one more moment to gather herself to go back inside, stepping toward the door to the inside, but stopped when Dr. Banner stood in the threshold, his chest heaving and his skin glistening.

Walking toward him as he walked toward her, Natasha took a moment to study the way he moved, the way he unlatched the top button on his shirt. His lab coat was off and he was clad in a pair of light khaki pants trimmed perfectly to his stature. When she paused, he continued to close the distance between them.

Unlatching another button, the fiery woman could see remnants of his light chest hair. Needing to break her gaze away, Natasha's gaze locked onto his and he slid his glasses off and placed then in his shirt pocket. Her breath caught.

"Why are you up here, Natasha?" he asked, his breath hoarse from the way up here, running madly in order to find her.

"You know why, Doctor. You're very observant," was all she spoke, her eyes falling from his and out into the horizon of clouds.

"You care for him."

Her lungs felt heavy. She'd never admitted such a truth to herself, but she nodded. "When Loki was here, he told me that he would use Barton to kill me slowly, so that he may witness utter torture for himself. And after he used him to kill me, Loki would kill him even slower."

"And that made you realize what you felt."

"Exactly, but since New York, he hasn't spoken to me. I just want to be near him, but how can I with everything going on?" she added, emotion lingering at her lips.

Closing the distance between them, he wrapped his arms around her and an unspoken message pulse through their embrace. "Cry," he ordered. And she did. She needed to. Her heart would soon weight too much to remain where it rested in her chest.

Both of her hands covered her face and she quietly sobbed, only allowing him to catch the act. He shifted his hold to where one arm cradled her lower back, fingers spread, and one arm steadied her shoulders.

Lowering his head, he closed his eyes and buried his face in her short red hair, breathing in her scent. His lips brushed softly over the exposed flesh of her neck, his breath heavier than appropriate.

She felt right in his arms, but he could not say this much. Being near her had stifled his rage temporarily. He realized that the shaking body between them wasn't she, but his own.

"_Natasha_," he desperately whispered against her skin. He needed to withdraw from her, but she still needed him for comfort. So, he gently tightened his arms over her body, bringing her closer.

Responding, Natasha lifted her head from him and he mimicked the action. Their faces nearly stood at the same height, Bruce only three inches taller than she. Their noses brushed, though she moved away from him to view his features in full. Her hand smoothed his disheveled hair lightly.

"Bruce, you won't like my request, but I want to see the Hulk."

"Absolutely not, Romanoff."

"Why not?"

"Because if something happens, I wouldn't forgive myself."

"I'll protect you," she mentioned before quickly adding, "before you can harm me or anyone else."

"How?" he spoke, clinging tragically to her form. Searching her eyes, he lowered his forehead to hers. "In New York, there was Chitauri to distract the Hulk from hurting anyone."

"I don't know, but you need to learn to somehow control him."

"It hasn't fully happened so far."

"Bruce, please?" Natasha pleaded.

Reluctantly, he nodded, saying nothing.

Bruce lifted her hand after reaching her hers and brought her fingertips to his lips.

Then, he tore himself from her and turned to walk, distancing himself from her.

vvvvvvvvvvvvvvvv

"Dr. Foster, have you been contacted by Loki?" Fury shouted.

"No."

"Dr. Foster, have you experienced a time when you were not yourself?"

"No."

"Dr. Foster, do you think you can say anything other than a no?"

"No."

Shoving his hand against a nearby wall, Nick sat back down at the table. "Jane, please. People are dying and you're the only one who can help me or the moment."

Irritable, Jane grunted, "Fury, I would like to help you, but until you realize that Loki has nothing to do with my mistake, you're going to continue to get nothing from me."

"Then tell me what you want me to know."

"You first," she countered.

Growling, Nick placed a hand on the side of his head as pain collected, "Fine." Taking a deep breath, he continued, "The Avengers project is equivalent to a task force on steroids. I gathered this group to counter any potential threat from another realm or country. Loki went wild and stole the Tesseract, controlling Selvig and Barton for a duration of time."

"Did you drug me on the way here?"

"Yes."

"_Why?_"

"I had to. I didn't know what else to do when you were constantly crying and carrying on."

"How is it that you have any friends?" Jane asked lightly.

Oddly, he smiled and chuckled, "I have no idea. They're more of my allies, really."

Pausing, Jane traced the ring of her coffee mug slowly. "I was furious that I wasn't allowed to continue my research, that you'd stolen, so I began reading about auroras and their scientific purpose: how they work and the like. I contacted an old friend of my father's, and she agreed to lend me her property so I could test my theory out."

He only lifted a brow.

"Surprise! It works."

"That's not even funny."

"I didn't think so…"

Relaxing, Fury sighed. "Well, that is all for now. Meet with Dr. Banner and Tony Stark in the labs periodically to brief them on how to possibly reverse the aurora's activity."

"Only if you promise to not confine me again."

"Deal."

vvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvv

Dr. Banner shifted into the large, pulsing green beast. Nerves quarreled with Natasha's need for remaining calm, but she was able to stifle them for now.

The last time he'd been alone with her in this form, he'd wanted to kill her. He nearly had.

Taking a deep breath, she instinctively covered her ears as he shrieked. Even the stars shook in their place.

Instantly, the Hulk sensed her presence and dashed toward her. Eyes wide, she began to run toward the edge of the ship. She didn't want any structural damage.

"Anytime you want to stop chasing me will be great!" she shouted back, shaking. As his left arm swung at her, she rolled off to the side.

Standing back up, she ran underneath him and shifted her body to backflip to avoid his hand extended for her.

"Bruce!" she hollered.

Suddenly, the Hulk's fist pounded against the external surface of the ship and it shook, erratically. Loosing her footing, she slipped and was struck by a green arm, sending her flying over the edge. Luckily, she grabbed onto a stray handle.

The winds seemed to grab her legs and pull roughly, causing her hands to hurt. She'd quickly lose her grip. The Hulk stomped on the ship again and it pulsated to her, shaking the metal material she clung on to.

One of her hands fell from the handle and she grunted in fear. Her head possessed full view of the thousands of feet of nothingness

"_Bruce!_" she cried, "Focus, please! I need your help."

Suddenly, a green hand clutched her midsection and brought her back to steady ground. A set of stray tears fell from her eyes and onto his envy-shaded skin.

His whole being stilled, large, dangerous eyes capturing hers. The Hulk's eyes softened and his grip released somewhat. Gently, the green beast set her down, but she called out his name.

"Hulk, Bruce? If either of you can hear me, please wait," she whispered, lifting her arms up in surrender.

The large body stilled at her command, but rage radiated from its pores. Taking one step, the Hulk howled, but did not move.

Now, Natasha was within ten feet of the Hulk, and she continued to close in toward him, arms lowering.

Her posture relaxed and straightened, showing him she meant no harm. Her light green eyes edged with an open vulnerability. Halting before him, she raised her left hand and took slow and steady breaths, catching his gaze, too.

Eye shifting from her hand to her own stare, the beast raised his arm—extremely slowly. Eventually, his arm was elevated so that his palm was inches away from hers.

When she did not move to close the space, the Hulk lightly growled as he eased in, her small, feeble hand flush against his massive green one. The touch electrified her bloodstream. She smiled, her muscles aching from the act.

"Incredible."

Both bodies remained planted in their position, but the Hulk's skin slacked a bit as time passed. He grunted sadly as his form began to shrunk into Bruce.

Exhausted, Bruce's knees failed to support his body. Instantly, Natasha made a short trip over to the threshold back inside to collect a thick blanket, rushing back to is side.

She gently tossed the blanket over his exposed, nude form, carefully tucking him in so he would not be chilled by the night's nippy air.

His chest heaved to the point where she thought he'd burst. Obviously, he could not form a coherent voice even though his lips formed the words.

Instead, he moaned, sobbing desperately, hopelessly, lost.

Romanoff wrapped her arms around him and cooed him, their temples lingering next to the others. She regulated her breathing so he could find it and match it. When he did, he stopped crying, but opened the blanket and wrapped his own arms around her.

Adjusting, they stood and she felt his naked body shiver, though the blanket should have kept him warm. She caught his pulse rate awakening. Bringing her arms out from the protection of the blanket, she wrapped them around his neck and guided his head to her chest.

Feeling his breath over her suit, she noticed her own heart rate accelerating. Then, he lightly kissed her chest and her knees felt nonexistent. Luckily his grasp over her midsection caught her from falling.

_Intense. Incredible. Impossible, _she thought as he stood at her level again, their eyes bare and purely exposed.

He closed the distance from her face and moved his nose against hers. Her mouth opened and exhaled, her heavy breath fighting against his own.

She fed from the rage he felt, momentarily giving him peace. Bliss. _Finally._

His hands clutched at her back, and she tilted her head so she could better see him. Half-lidded, both of them lingered in this moment, exploring, searching, fleeting.

Finally, their lips brushed idly against each other, but they were too far apart to bring them together. He brought the back of his fingertips to her cheek and responded by placing her forehead against his.

"What is this?" she shuddered. He remained silent.

A disturbance over by the door caused them to come back down from their private moment. Shaking her head, she withdrew herself from his arms reluctantly. They mutually separated until they had a comfortable distance.

"Agent Romanoff, I heard pounding up here, so I thought I'd come see if everything was okay," a guard spoke.

Walking quickly, she simply nodded and heard his footsteps behind hers.

vvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvv

_He was sure he was flying; yet, he felt weightless like gravity rejecting his very existence. Was he floating? Opening his eyes, darkness devoured his sight. He did not feel death's aching call, nor did he feel life's breath. Who was he?_

_He was Loki._

_In this place, he could not feel sad. He could not feel the wounds Thor had inflicted upon his godly body. The only tender touch he felt was the grip of his molten heart. He'd only pursued glory in the name of Odin. Thor was not ready, nor fit for the throne._

_The façade of a brother was arrogant. He was vile, cruel in his brutality as displayed when countering Jotunheim's entrance into Asgard. Loki wouldn't have guessed that he would be banished, or that he was actually of Jotun blood himself._

_Even his mother had so quickly believed Thor when he'd burst into Asgard. He had slaughtered his own father for Odin. Frigga had mentioned that Odin had purpose for every action._

_If that were true, then the Allfather predicted Loki's plan all along. This caused Loki to bitterly realize that Odin had set Loki up. To claim him as a son, and continue to prepare Thor against Loki's schemes…_

_Suddenly, a small cluster of rocks appeared amidst the shattering darkness. A force tugged at Loki's body toward the rock island, eventually pulling him at an alarmingly quick rate. _

_Impacting, his body felt like four frost giants' ice at his back weighing him down. Struggling, he glanced around, seeing a single entity that resembled fear in itself._

_"You have come here to die, stranger," the being spoke, his voice low and sinister. Loki felt his heart stop, life altering toward death. He realized the being held out his hand, controlling and reading his heart._

_"So, your name is Loki of Asgard? I am known as Thanos. You have come here for no purpose than banishment and shame, so I shall kill you slowly and mercilessly. Prepare to die without honor, wanderer," the voice spoke._

_Suddenly, all of Loki's bones—ribs, legs, arms, spine, fingers—broke in half. And Loki wailed, though no sound erupted from his lips as his lungs caved in._

vvvvvvvvvvvvvvvv

A loud howl blew over the residential chambers of the ship. There could be no better word for the cry other than misery. With each passing second, the unbearable sounds grew louder. And louder.

Jane's eyes burst open as her body fell six feet onto her bed.

She'd been floating?

A pair of hands cradled her face until a disturbance at the door sounded. The pair of hands disappeared as a wet, cold snout rubbed against her face, a low and worried whine ringing in her ears.

"Jane!" Thor cried. Immediately, he fled toward her bed and gently shoved away at Kalt, who growl menacingly. Thor placed his attention on the animal and pointed, "Know your place, beast."

Jane's body shook. When Thor's hands pinned Jane to her bed, she cried out, "Hot! Too hot! Let me go!"

"Forgive me, Jane. I cannot oblige your request until I know that you are safe," Thor countered, his hands tightening to hold her down.

The overhead light flickered on as a violent shiver scorched across her body. Thor's attention shifted toward the door for a second, and his grasp loosened. "What's going on?" Rogers called, alarmed and caught off guard.

"I believe Jane had a nightmare," Thor replied.

Jane pushed away at him and squirmed away. He reached out for her and she shook her head, "You can't just come in here and place force over me in my own bed!"

"Jane, you were shouting as if someone was in here to kill you," he reasoned, his features darkening. Curling his fingers tightly, he glanced toward Steve, commanding, "We embark to end this madness tonight. Divided or together, I will not let them harm Jane."

"I'll go and rally the others. I agree. We can't stay here while the problems rise. I know Fury wanted us to work on a plan of action, but so many lives are being lost by each hour we stand idle," Rogers supported, eagerly walking out of the room.

Thor drew Jane close, large hands resting on her small shoulders, "Jane, I will not let you get hurt. I've failed you once. I shall not fail you twice."

"Thor, let me explain," she whispered, fear creeping into pores.

"Explain," he followed.

Realizing she couldn't say much about what she saw, or about Kalt, she bit her lip and sighed, "I can't explain."

Thor's featured softened, "What can you not tell me?"

"More than I thought," she admitted. Upon her words, Thor's expression hardened, distanced. She'd hurt him. "I'm sorry, Thor."

"You are wary, and should not worry of what I am feeling. Rest, and know I will protect you with my life, Jane," he replied quickly. He quickly stalked out of the room.

As soon as the door shut, Jane ran to it and bolted it. "Loki, tell me what is going on! How am I able to see your memories _and_ feel what you felt in them?"

Shifted from the black beast to his god form, Loki closed the distance between them and cupped her cheek to inspect her, seeing if she was truly all right. "I know not of what could be happening."

"Grand," she dryly added, her skin tingling at his touch.

His gaze left hers, and he sighed dejectedly. Upon meeting her lovely dark hues, his mouth opened, but it was she who spoke the identical words he'd have spoken, "We have to leave this ship. I have to believe that by somehow being connected to you, Thanos is connected to me."

Chuckling, smiling, he rubbed is forehead, "I concur."

"Should we do this your way or my way?" Jane questioned.

"What does your plan include?" Loki curiously inquired, his features like glass.

Puckering her lips, she brought her hand to her chin, tapping her index finger against it. "Going for the airplanes and getting out."

"I believe my way shall suffice, then."

"Good. I don't know how to fly," she retorted and reflected his smile.

Bringing her hand in his, Loki lowered his head and whispered, "I do."

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_**To be continued...**_

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Please review! I'm in need of serious opinions on how this story is so far! Thanks! (:


	7. Chapter 7

**Author's Note:** First off, chapter one has a bonus scene underneath the original opening scene. I added it to have more exposition. While it isn't terribly necessary for the plot, I felt like it gave more clarity for the story so far. I really thrive on constructive criticism. I try to abide by the wishes of my readers. It's not just my story. It's yours, too! Hopefully you enjoy this chapter! It's a bit longer than I anticipated, but regardless, I have updated again for you! I'm really loving this intensive writing, so please encourage me to write more! Lol. Enjoy!

**Disclaimer(s):** I do not own Thor, the Avengers, or anything regarding any fandom. Thanks.

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_"Keep your face always toward the sunshine - and shadows will fall behind you."_

~Walt Whitman

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**Chapter 7**

Jane's eyes darkened, lowering from Loki as fervently as they'd latched onto the god. Her smiled faded. So did his. She bit her lip and he took a step closer.

"We can't leave," the astrophysicist declared. Anxiety crept into her womb, so she unconsciously placed her palm against her belly.

Frustrated, Loki lowered his body, his back arching forward to capture her full attention, "Why not?"

Her gaze softened. "I don't know how to close these wormholes. I can't. Without the Tesseract, I really don't think that it's possible. I have no idea where the Tesseract even is," she admitted as she released her lip.

"Why did you not consider this outcome prior to opening them?" Loki languidly drew, his features loosening and his hands joining before him.

Exhaling, Jane just threw her hands up toward the ceiling, "I didn't know all of this would happen! I thought a wormhole would appear and I was hoping to stabilize it before anything came out, but that didn't happen."

He respired, quick and short, resembling a small chuckle. "Let me clear your meaning. You wish to snag the Tesseract with me?"

Shaking her head, eyes wide, she lowered her arms and crossed them over her chest. "I'm not going to be stealing it. Especially with you."

Lifting a brow, he stepped forward once and cleared his throat. "Clarify yourself."

Absently, she brought a hand to the ends of her hair, twirling her light brown locks with her fingers, "I would hope that I could get the Avengers' trust enough to convince them of using the Tesseract to close them. Let's face it—the Tesseract is the only way we know beyond certainty that will succeed in closing them."

Straightening, Loki groaned. The idea of working with the Avengers sent a chill across his spine. However, she was correct in her logic. He was impressed she wasn't so easy carried away. "From my understanding, the Tesseract possesses unknown power that can be utilized in many different ways."

Jane just rocked back and forth on her heels. She reminded him of a child who could no longer contain a piece of knowledge.

"I already knew that, but stemming off from that knowledge, the Tesseract is supposed to be easily manipulated, too. It's not a living entity, but it beholds life within its shape," she amended, adding, "That is its most basic function to its source of power."

Loki's heart fluttered, eager to know more. "Go on," he requested, using his hands to wave toward her.

"Logistically, it's a sensible truth to believe. How could such an object be so powerful without its own source of power? Think of it like a battery—or something that contains any given power—and ask where its power was manufactured."

"What makes you believe to know something as farfetched as this?" the god countered, skeptical.

Shrugging, Jane smirked, "The Tesseract has been used very few times in recent human history. Over seventy years ago, it was used for advanced weaponry against the allied nations. That was foiled. When lost in the ocean, Howard Stark found it and tried to further understand it. He somewhat failed. His research was passed along to SHIELD and Erik. All they've ever accomplished is how it works. In order to release the true potential of the Tesseract is to know where it came from and how it contained so much power in the first place."

Loki raised a brow, "How do you know any of this?"

Bringing her hands to create the shape of a cube, Jane brought her gaze down to explain, "I found an old archive hidden in the library at the University of New Mexico. The file was filled with attempts to mimic the Tesseract—to recreate it. Back when Captain America was frozen and lost with the Tesseract, a scientist from the Soviet Union named Yuri Ivanov required funding for a secret project called the Tartarus Project.

"Essentially, he gathered newborn children and conducted experiments on them. Most of the children died because he tried to create a machine to somehow extract the souls out of all living beings, but of course he failed. The Soviet Union found out about it and slaughtered him. It was quite gruesome.

"The point of this information is that he was involved privately with Johann Schmidt, the guy that stole the Tesseract from that church during World War II. Ivanov craved for power, and after the failed usage of the Tesseract in Schmidt's hands, he searched to understand where the power initially came from.

"He may have hit a lead as far as a possible source of power. He was convinced that the energy and power it was capable of was derived from a soul. He personally used the children for other experiments, such as cloning and stem cell research. Eventually he gained unwanted attention after too many children went missing. It was assumed that over 3000 lives were lost to this Project. Obviously, he failed in his research.

"He failed because no ordinary soul could fit the massive amount required for such an artifact. This is the most accurate explanation I've found in the months I dedicated toward understanding the Tesseract."

"And what would be sufficient enough for the Tesseract?" Loki inquired, nodding his head. His interest in this subject showed as clear as a cloudless day.

Lowering her hands, Jane raked them through her hair and teased her lips before answering, "A god's soul, power, and vitality of life."

"And your findings support this how?" he inquired, his voice low.

Jane tilted her head and locked her dark eyes over his. "You."

"Me?" he replied, his tone ranging from low to high signifying confusion.

"You," she confirmed.

"How?"

"Although your endeavors failed, you were the only living soul to use the Tesseract as successfully as you did. The Tesseract bonded to your need for power more seamlessly than any other human's need. You commanded it, and it followed. No one was able accomplish much with the Tesseract: not Schmidt, SHIELD, or Ivanov. Not until you, a god of Asgard."

"You're confident of this theory?" he asked.

She only nodded before adding, "The only flaw in it is understanding what soul the Tesseract bonded with in order to possess such power."

"To whom could the original soul the Tesseract devoured belong?" Loki rhetorically asked, as if trying to recall himself.

"That's what I've been meticulously trying to understand," Jane explained, aggravation and impatience wearing through her. "I was hoping Thor would be helpful, but for some reason, I think your history with the Tesseract will proof more useful."

Loki simply stared at her.

Jane's features gathered, her arms crossing over across her chest self-consciously. "What?"

"I can understand why SHIELD wanted you out of the way, but can you imagine what I could have accomplished with you in my control, instead of Erik Selvig?" Loki reflected, sounding absent and distant.

Taking a step back, she felt her stomach roll, "I try not to imagine anything you're capable of that would have involved me. I'm bitter about not being the one to have accessed the artifact, but that's my pride at work. I really am trying to change my twisted prospective of what and what not to live and die for."

The god patiently drew breath and moved to sit on the bed, patting on the space next to him. Hesitantly, Jane conceded to his request. "Why are you telling me this?"

Jane quieted, searching within herself for that truth. Glancing toward the door, she closed her eyes and joined her hands on her lap, "Because you have as much to lose as I do, and I believe that you aren't all bad. Highly misguided, yes. Wholly malicious, undecided."

"So you choose to trust me, Loki, the god of mischief and traitor of Asgard?" he quietly, highly conscious of himself.

Unabashed, Jane shrugged, "Yes."

"You mentioned that I am the misguided body in our conversation?" he casually murmured more to himself.

Catching his words, she leaned in and smiled, "That wasn't mutually exclusive to only you."

"I'm glad. I would hate to be offended."

"And I'd hate to offend."

Both smiled awkwardly. Neither had realized their close proximity, and they both scooted the opposite direction. Jane's stomach tightened and then lifted to defy the laws of gravity, slowly fluttering up to her chest. Timidly, Jane pulled a loose strand of hair behind her ear as she stood.

Both remained quiet until Loki cleared his throat, "How shall we acquire their trust?"

"You'll have to keep up the wolf act. And I will begin to work out methods with Tony and Dr. Banner for another way to close them without mention of the Tesseract," she said.

"Are you good at keeping secrets?" he lowly inquired, his expression filled with a familiar, yet dangerous emotion she only recognized as longing.

Swallowing, she nodded. "I can if the cause permits to be greater than the loss of the outcome."

"One more question," Loki said, his tone devious despite the innocence attached to his features.

"Yes?"

Standing, he drew close to her while she backed up into a nearby wall, his arms capturing her between them as his hands spread over the wall near her shoulders. Lowering his head, he smirked reservedly, "You will need the best rest you can collect. No more falling asleep on the floor. What would the others think if they walk in and the wolf has conquered the bed?"

Snickering, She slid from between his arms and placed a hand on his high shoulder lightly, "We'll see about that."

Turning, Loki withdrew his hands from the wall to join complacently behind his back, "I'm good at games."

"I don't always win, but I'm a great contender," she riposted, her tone playful. As they stood next to each other, Jane felt like she was shivering, but her body remained still. Jane's lids lamely fell halfway, covering her wide pupils.

Her chest constricted and sluggishly withdrew the force around her heart. Jane's lungs felt like they had shrunk, causing her to have a shortage of breath. Jane's head tilted backward so that her face was open toward him. Her warm eyes were captivated by his cool, frostbitten hues.

Jane exhaled, her breath faltering. Her pulse raced with the charge of an electric force, hammering against her breastbone. She observed Loki lower his head, his forehead not quite resting on hers. She thought he appeared hesitant, almost timid, in his actions.

His hand captured her chin, her lids opening, alert of his touch. She moved her hand to his wrist so that she could pry his hand away, but her hold stilled over his wrist.

"Which of my memories were you shown tonight?" he asked, his voice heavy against the soft silence that had settled across the room.

Jane bit her lip, teasing it aimlessly as the pulsating, empty knot in her stomach withering her nerves. Opening her mouth to speak, words would not break her silence. Her breath hit his cool skin, shifting his gaze from guarded to hungry.

This frightened her, so finally, she spoke, "Do you have many memories in which you were being tortured?"

His silence validated that neither wished to answer the others inquiries.

Fixing her smile to a frown, her thoughts were guided back to Thanos. "We should stick to figuring out how to close the wormholes and how to get rid of Thanos and The Other."

Loki's eyes searched hers fleetingly. Eventually, he nodded, shifting back into Kalt.

Jane positioned herself on the bed as Kalt joined her on the foot of the bed. Despite her eyes stinging with fatigue, she did not fall asleep.

vvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvv

"I need Pepper here. In my absence, she can configure a proper theoretic plan to closing these holes, while we go play round two of heroes," Tony stated, a smile rocking his mouth.

"I'll contact her, but I can't promise any results without you and Dr. Banner's assistance," Fury countered.

"Just do it."

Nick leaned to one side and shook his head three times, wondering how he'd once been influential over the Avengers. Now they more or less did their own thing. Needing to find the other Avengers, Fury stalked out of the room.

"Are you sure it's a good idea for me to stay here, Tony?" Bruce asked, his voice smooth and weary. He obviously thought otherwise. He and Tony had an understanding—a brotherly bond, almost—so they pretty much went to each other for advice and listened to what the other said.

The Iron Man nodded, "The rest of us are splitting into three groups to try and combat the few Chitauri numbers invading the towns in Norway, Alaska, and Canada. I'm heading to Canada with Clint, Thor is heading to Alaska by himself, and Romanoff and Steve are heading to Norway."

Raising a brow, Bruce crossed his arms, his glasses naturally sliding down the bridge of his nose as he lowers his head, "Why is Thor going alone?"

"Fury ran into one of his friends while bringing Jane back here. Fury asked her to defend the affected towns near Dr. Foster's lab in Alaska. Thor insisted on going to meet with her," Stark explained, a smile wearing his lips.

"Why are you smiling?" Dr. Banner hesitantly questioned, his fingers pushing his glasses back up.

"What's going on between you and ole Natasha?" Tony questioned.

Bruce tightened his fists and walked toward the door without answering, "Just be careful okay? I'll work with Jane to find potential ways to close these wormholes."

Tony followed him, disregarding Bruce's blatant want to change the subject. "Sensitive subject, Banner?"

Rolling his eyes, he took a deep breath and looked over toward Tony, "After Loki came on board, I nearly killed Agent Romanoff while the Hulk rampaged through this base. She wasn't running wholly for her life. I remember the look in her eyes before I transformed. There was a pure desire to help me as a person. I've never received such an odd response from someone about to run into the Hulk."

"So, you feel something toward her?" the other Avenger bluntly asked.

Shifting his jaw, Bruce glanced up to the ceiling of the bright hallway, "She gives me momentary peace. I appreciate not feeling anger all the time. And when she's around, everything is just easier."

"I see," Tony concluded, his arm lightly bumping against Bruce's. "I was the one who suggested she go with Steve, by the way."

Catching a laugh at his throat, Dr. Banner smiled, "Thanks for being observant."

"I have an uncommon knack for sticking my nose where it doesn't belong," Tony countered.

Shaking his head, Bruce sighed, "When it's in my favor, it's a nice knack."

"Ah! Dr. Foster!" Tony called as his peripheral vision caught wind of a shorter female walking toward them.

"Hello, Mr. Stark, I was on my way to discuss how we can fix this mess," the woman said, smiling. Shadows underneath her eyes contradicted her light mood, Tony deduced.

"I'm the man power in that operation. You'll be working with Dr. Banner today. I got to go," Tony said, running toward the bridge.

"Where's the wolf?" Bruce questioned, trying to fix his attention on a different matter than the subject with Tony. He was beginning to find it difficult to think clearly lately.

"Kalt?" Jane responded, her gaze shifting behind her. "She simultaneously shook her head and shrugged, "I thought I heard him behind me. I'm sure he'll be fine in the room by himself for a while."

"If you don't mind me asking, why is he here?"

Jane chuckled, looking down at her joined hands for a moment, "He followed me, and Fury didn't refuse him being here."

"Yes, but why is a wolf in a floating SHIELD base? Where does he go to relieve himself?"

"Dr. Banner, you're very critical," she replied before adding, "There is a break room with a small garden on the third residential floor. That's where I take him to relieve himself. Of course I dispose of his waste as best as possible."

Eyes narrowing, he felt something abnormal in his gut, but decided to focus on the most important tasks at hand. "We should get started, Dr. Foster."

"I agree."

Holding out his hand back down the hall, he said, "After you."

She walked down the hall toward the lab she'd been instructed to meet him at, Bruce joining her at her side. "So, an astrophysicist?"

"Yes."

"What exactly is that field of study?" he inquired.

Her featured brightened, always excited about her field of work. "An astronomer who studies the physical properties of celestial bodies."

"Oh, sounds interesting."

"It's a very exciting field of study. Not many people believe me, but I know it, so that's all that matters," Jane enthusiastically remarked, her hand shifting a section of hair behind her ear.

"I'm glad to meet a woman of such intelligence and passion for her field," he offered. At least they had that in common.

Arriving at the lab, Bruce's hand hovered over many flat computer screen embedded in a table, raising up 3-D projections of the atmospheric activity in the three inflicted parts of the world.

"There are three wormholes open in the world so far. The other Avengers are currently on their way to hold off the Chitauri forces. We're to find a possible way to contain the damage to those areas alone, and we are placed with the lovely task of figuring out a manageable way to close the wormholes off for good," Bruce instructed.

Seeing the projections in all three areas, Jane studied them, her face as animated as a stone in the sand. Her hand raised and her fingertips touched the blue lines, dragging outward so she could enlarge all three outcrops.

"There is common magnetic activity placed in all three of these that are unusual for auroras in the areas. The charged particles are moving too quickly. These energy fluxes should not even exist—not at their current rates," she observed.

"Right. But how are they related? The only wormhole you opened was in Alaska. How is that one connected to the other two?" Bruce asked.

"Pull up a world map with the latitudinal and longitudinal coordinates," she requested, not knowing how to fully operate the advanced projections.

When he complied, Jane pointed at the precise location of all three aurora locations. Tracing a straight pathway to connect a perfect line between the locations, she enlarged the map to reveal the precisely 66 degrees north.

"The locations of them trace the 66th parallel. White Island in Nunavut, Canada, the town just outside Fort Yukon in Alaska, and Heroy in Nordland, Norway are the precise locations," she observed.

Flipping her hands, she tracked the 66th parallel for other unusual activity in the magnetosphere. Her heart sunk as she came across the small Chukotski peninsula located in Russia, the exact location of the village of Uelen. "Holy crap."

Ivanov had conducted his project in Uelen, Jane recalled.

"What?" Banner unsteadily questioned.

Without answering, Jane darted out of the room. She heard Dr. Banner chasing after her, eventually catching up to her. "What's going on?" he demanded to know.

"I have to get to the bridge to share this with all of the Avengers, but essentially, we have another crazy scientist out to destroy the world," Jane replied.

Her legs couldn't move fast enough. Heart blazing, she rounded a corner and saw Kalt. With no time to stop, she continued her pursuit of the Bridge. Looking back over her shoulder, she saw him following her.

Her muscles burned, ached, and thrashed against her skin, but she did not stop. Her breath eventually began to sting at her lungs. Still, she ran on.

Dr. Banner never fell behind, only gaining ground ahead of Jane. "I'll get you to the bridge. I'm unsure of whether they would let you in by yourself."

"Okay."

Bruce ran ahead and instructed the guards to open the door for him. They complied with the Avenger and Bruce waited for Jane and her companion to enter. Rushing past the guards trying to tell her she wasn't allowed in there, Jane dodged the many hands trying to still her. She ran past Fury, who roughly reached her shoulder.

"What the hell are you doing down here?" he irritably spoke. Seeing Bruce, he raised exposed brow, "Dr. Banner?"

Bruce grabbed his hand and threw it off of Jane. "She knows something about the wormholes that the others need to know about. There's no time to waste with telling one person before. She's tracked another potential wormhole."

When Nick's attention was over Bruce, Jane snatched his earpiece and shoved it in her ear. "Avengers?"

Simultaneously, various voices acknowledged her, question and confusion dripping in their tones. "Dr. Foster?"

"There's no time to explain, but in a nutshell, another wormhole will be opened over the Chukotski peninsula in Russia in the village of Uelen. I've tracked the trajectory of all of the wormholes and they trace the 66th parallel. My wormhole must have created a disturbance at that level.

"When Johann Schmidt had control of the Tesseract, one of his cohorts named Yuri Ivanov craved to create an identical artifact—an artificial replication of the Tesseract. His theory is unimportant for the moment. His methods were vicious. He murdered over 3000 infant children for his project to attain this goal.

"I can't be sure if he somehow lives, though it was documented that he was killed by the Soviet Union, but someone has followed this information enough to use my disturbance to test out this artificial twin to the Tesseract. If you don't stop this, wormholes will appear across this parallel and the world may be threated for extinction.

"This isn't a theory. This is truth. The prototype of the Tesseract would mean the end of humanity in the hands of someone continuing this project. I'm unsure if this prototype has already been manufactured, but something is being used to open more wormholes," she rushed, her breath nonexistent.

"How have you traced the wormholes to the 66th parallel?" Steve Rogers asked.

"In plain English, I observed the magnetosphere activity and noticed a common frequency of the particles' movement. The frequency is at normal levels across the globe except in the three active wormhole sights. I traced the line to see if there were any other signs of new activity, and I found it in Uelen. This is the exact village Ivanov conducted his research. There has to be a connection."

"How come you knew this about Ivanov and SHIELD did not?" Agent Barton asked, his tone tense.

Jane's features tightened, "Ever since hearing about the Tesseract, I've taken the time to try to understand the source of power the device runs on. I've not found anything, but in my search, I came across this man and the purpose of his project."

"Is there anything else you can tell us, Jane?" she heard Thor ask.

Biting her lip, she shook her head, "Unfortunately, no, but this is vital. Someone has to go look into this; otherwise, the events in New York will look like child's play."

"Could Loki be a part of this?" Tony inquired.

Rolling her eyes, "Loki would have shown himself by now. Besides, he's hiding from something. It's not anything human. I have a feeling that the beings my wormhole brought about are somehow related to the outbreak in the Chitauri, but I don't have any way of knowing what these things are. Our first priority should be locating this disturbance before it has time to escalate any further."

"How can you be so sure that Loki isn't involved?" Dr. Banner asked, a headset in his ear.

"Because of the fact that the Chitauri came back at all. They seek him out. He's more than likely weakened and needs time to recover. He may be ambitious, but he's no one to run willingly into death, right?" she reasoned, hoping they would stop questioning her of Loki.

"I suppose that makes sense," Natasha said, her voice silk against fire. "Dr. Banner, is there anything you would amend in what she's telling us?"

"No, I saw the same charts and figures she saw. I'll go check into it myself. The rest of you keep the Chitauri busy," Bruce answered back.

"Bruce?" Natasha called.

"Hmm?" he drew, enjoying the sound of her voice forming his name.

"Be careful, and call us if you find anything," she told him.

"Likewise, Agent Romanoff."

The contact was broken and Jane fell to her knees, out of breath completely, her hands steadying herself on her knees. "Man, I'm so out of shape."

Kalt instantly came to her side and rubbed the side of his face against her shoulder. Before she could glance to him, she caught off guard by a loud bang against a metal table.

"Would anyone like to include me in any plans? Last I checked, I was in charge here, Jane," Fury shouted, livid. Veins bulged from his temple.

Standing, Jane crossed her arms and tapped her foot, "I'm sorry. This couldn't wait."

"Just leave the bridge, Dr. Foster. You're purpose here is over," he bitterly hissed.

"You need to chill out, Fury. Without her, we would have never known that," Banner reminded, threatening.

"Those words coming from a compacted vessel of anger. Comical," he said. He walked over to Jane, but Kalt readied himself before her, lowering his stance to prepare for a possible outburst on Fury's part. Nick stepped back one step. "I knew you knew more than you let on."

Shifting his attention to Banner, he turned his back to Jane and motioned for Bruce to walk with him, telling him to prepare for the journey within thirty minutes.

Jane was escorted back to her room and was told to stay there, but no guard was assigned to see that she did. When the door closed, Jane lightly grunted, desiring no further attention from anyone outside.

"Loki, you're eventually going to have to make yourself known. I am growing tired of this place, but not yet. I have to find out where they have placed the Tesseract. It's not safe here," she explained as he sifted into his regular form.

Loki observed her momentarily, drinking in her gracefulness amidst such stress. Her eyes met his and her arms raised, fell shortly after, and after another moment, she rushed toward him, wrapping her arms around him.

"I just need comfort. I'm not used to this sort of pressure," she murmured against his Asgardian armor.

He felt her shaking, realizing that she was against him. Closing his eyes, he swiftly placed his hands over her shoulders. Initially, he wanted to pry her away, unused to such a word as comfort anymore. Yet, something in him beckoned him to indulge her. His body seemed to absorb each wave of quivers.

Opening his eyes, he chanced a quick glance down at her short, tiny frame, "It is quite all right."

His hands remained awkwardly at her shoulders as he realized she was the bravest creature he'd ever known. The acknowledgement frightened him.

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_**To be continued...**_

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Please review! I've taken a few criticisms to heart and altered this story because of them! I really thrive on criticism, and am really enjoying where this story is heading because of it! Thanks! (:


	8. Chapter 8

**Author's Note:** The next few chapters will center around not only Jane and Loki, but also the Avengers and Sif! I wanted to dedicate this chapter solely toward Loki and Jane! I hope you love it as much as I do. It's my favorite chapter! Also, I won't be able to update for two or three days (maybe). I have to work all day tomorrow and I have a test to study for. We shall see! Enjoy!

**Disclaimer(s):** I do not own Thor, the Avengers, or anything regarding any fandom. Thanks.

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_"When I give, I give myself."_

~Walt Whitman

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**Chapter 8**

After the previous day's events, Jane's temperament altered tremendously. Everyone could see it in the way she carried herself. No longer was a spark buried in her eyes. No longer was the very spirit she possessed when studying the wormholes. She no longer sassed Nick Fury when they had reached a heated point in their conversation earlier.

She'd mentioned something regarding the Tesseract. Blindly, Fury had told her she would never be able to see it if she didn't tell him everything she knew—everything she was hiding.

Jane's reply was silence.

Fighting against the melancholy any longer grew fruitless. Never more in her life had a smile become a chore. Her eyes were downcast, instead of high and alert. Her posture was hunched, alluding to an obvious inward dilemma. Her speech was curt, to the point, and rarely meaningful.

Jane was sad.

She had right to be, or so she thought. Without notice, the date of her father's murder had crept up on her like a hidden shadow dwelling in the corners of the night waiting to strangle its owner in their sleep. Without notice, she had opened the 66th parallel for a possible outbreak of death.

Among the other problems, she missed Thor: not exactly in such a way that indicated romantic interest, but their comfortable companionship. Where she spoke, he listened without much substance. Where she asked, he answered unalloyed. He was open, predictable in his words, actions, and character.

He was familiar amidst an unfamiliar period of time before her eyes. She still desired to know of his stories as a child: what it had been like growing up in Asgard and with Loki. She hungered for more answers about the realms.

Jane still couldn't bring herself to ask Loki about much. He had seen the realms with a different, darker lens. She didn't want that to skew the possibility of happiness and glory elsewhere.

Selfish, she cowardly thought. Expressionless, she sat in a low-lit library and stared at the photo of her father in a book she found about his line of work. It had caught her off guard, but the discovery had been welcome.

The last pair of tears concurrently glossed her skin, trailing down her cheek and onto the page of the book.

"Not a day goes by that I don't wish I could just go back to being your little girl," she spoke as soft of silk against the silence of the darkened room to the portrait of her father.

Had it already been twelve years? She'd only been fifteen. He hadn't the time to see her win her first science fair, nor her first date. Everything was robbed from not just him, but also her.

Aching, she looked toward the dwelling fire in its pit. At long last, she finally allowed herself a few minutes to mourn her father.

It hadn't helped her one bit, though.

"Ridiculous," she chided, wiping away fresh, falling tears. Straightening her spine, she shook her body as if to ward away her pain. Oddly, it did.

For a moment, she warranted herself time for reflection: over her plans to retrieve the Tesseract, over her theories, and over Loki.

He baffled her to the point where simply thinking of him made her skin crawl; yet, he did not do so in such a way that caused her to dislike him. Odd that the reaction she was granted upon his entry into her thoughts would be similar to that of irritation. But she did not dislike him, nor did his presence irritate her overwhelmingly.

He was just complicated to figure out. And she hated not being able to understand everything.

A light thump creased the silence. The noise was almost unheard, but Jane's concentration was heightened enough for her to catch it.

"What are you doing here, Loki?" Jane spoke, her voice lackluster, dull, like a diamond in the dark.

"I'm surprised you were aware of my presence," he replied, showing himself from the darkness of the furthest corner of the room. He paced toward her and joined her on a leather couch in the center of the library facing the fire.

"Why are you here at all? I wanted to be alone."

Loki's features hardened, clearly offended, "I suppose you do not wish to see me?"

"No. I don't want you in here or around me for the moment. I want to be alone," she repeated.

"Jane, you must understand what good solitude does for a weak heart," he pointedly began. Eventually, he finished, "Nothing."

"What do you know about what I've gone through, huh?" she raised, scooting as far away from him on the couch as possible.

Unused to this urgent, vile disposition, Loki swallowed. "You've been cursed with my memories, Jane. And I yours."

Standing, she stomped her foot into the rug. Hard. "What?" Jane hissed, tears distorting her gaze in the orange glow of the fire.

Wincing, Loki eventually rose from the couch, towering over her. She turned her back to him and he closed the quaint distance until his chest flush against her frame.

Above the fireplace was a large antique mirror that displayed them from Jane's waist and above. She stared at their reflection as he kept his cool gaze down at her, his eyes warming with the orange that burst throughout the room from the fire.

As the fire flickered, growing weaker, a new shadow burned from Jane's features. In some moments, Loki could see a faint glimmer emanating from her left eye. And like a star's wink, her eyes were concealed by the blackness. The next moment revealed a moving shine from her cheek.

She was crying. Her body remained still, but he could not mistake those quiet, thick tears.

The top of her head leaned back, resting against him at his chest. In this moment, she was a fragment of a living entity—broken, devastated. Loki felt his chest tighten.

"What have you seen?" she murmured against the library's impenetrable reticence.

"Your father. Only your father," he confessed as quietly as she'd articulated, his voice like a soft blade through her core.

Upon his admission, her body lamely backed into him, leaning on him, depending on him. She stood even shorter against his tall stature. Her eyes left her reflection and lifted to meet his eyes through the mirror.

"You've seen his death."

Loki situated his gaze to hers, also depending on the mirror, "Yes."

"I'd only just come home from school that day. I went upstairs to put up my things. I heard the phone ring, so I answered it from my father's phone in his room. It was Erik calling for my father. They were not only partners in research, but also very close friends—brothers, even," she explained.

When he thought she would not speak further, she drew breath slowly and lowered her gaze from his in the mirror. Finally, her eyes rose again. "When I shouted for my father, I heard him scream at someone. The words were undetected, but sounded similar to a no," pausing, she wiped with her fingertips at her eyes, lowering her hands, "The man was moving up the stairs after he'd shot my father. I assume my father told him he was alone to protect me."

Her exhale was sharp, instant, "I didn't even hear a gunshot. There was no way I could have known. As I approached the stairs, I saw a man slowly ascending the steps toward me. I didn't know what to do, so I ran into my father's room and found his gun underneath his bed. I walked out of the room, and shouted at the man to stop, that I would shoot. He only stepped further. He laughed at me, disbelieving. As he continued to walk toward me, slowly, he put his gun on a nearby table and began to unbuckle his belt, shifting his pants from left to right."

Jane's left arm moved over to her right arm, moving up and down swiftly as if she were cold, "He meant to rape me. I didn't know what else to do, so I shot him as soon as he reached the top of the steps. He looked at me, his arm reaching toward me, and he never stopped smiling. His body tumbled down the steps. Finally, I wailed, calling out for my father."

She lowered her head and her chest heaved, her left hand covering her eyes. Loki remained still, fearing that if he moved, she would break away from him. He swallowed down a bitter pain, but manipulated his features to resemble a neutral, supportive expression.

Sobbing, Jane shook her head and glanced back up, feebly, "I stood there for some time, trying to figure out what had just happened, but eventually, I ran down the stairs, passing the man in the green plaid shirt to go to my father. I fell to my knees before him, gently bringing his head into my lap. I didn't cry in that instant—only gazed down at him, shushing him multiple times, smiling ignorantly."

_"Jane…green…man…I…see,_" _he whispered, shaking in between each word._

"He began to look away from me, causing me to also look up, only to see absolutely nothing. I placed my hand over his cheek and stroked it until his last breath. By then, the police had arrived. I suppose Erik heard the whole encounter while I placed him on hold for get my father. He must have called the police," she finished.

Loki stood there in silence, wholly shaken to the core. Jane felt him move his hand over her exposed arm, his index finger tracing an invisible trail from her wrist bone to just below her elbow. She shivered, turning her head to look at him, still turned from him, over her shoulder.

She found him enchantingly staring down at her, his helmet framing his features. He bent toward her and she found herself easing toward him, standing on her toes. Her right arm rose and her hand fit in the small space between his helmet and his armor behind his neck, a gentle pressure from her fingertips guiding him toward her.

Her face tilted to the left, as did his, minutely, and their noses brushed, soft, warm skin colliding against tight, cold flesh. He released the breath caught in his chest, tickling over her face. She exhaled softly, and he closed his eyes, as if savoring what he felt. Briefly, their lips met, a chaste joining.

His lips were soft, delicate; hers were chapped, worn from her biting.

Before they parted, her eyes closed, too. Hesitantly, they mutually parted, foreheads meeting. As they opened their eyes in sync, their eyelashes meshed together, moving quickly as each searched the others eyes.

Jane felt him move his other arm over the hand behind his neck, lowering it before him. Shifting his grasp over her wrist, he gently brushed his lips over her palm.

Jane thought she would faint from the lack of ability to draw breath. "I need a drink."

"I can arrange for that," Loki smiled, something in his expression unrecognizable to Jane's notice.

vvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvv

"Loki, you must drink more! I can't," she paused, hiccupping lowly, "be the only one to drink."

"You are already influenced?" he inquired, his tone mocking, playful.

"Precisely," she confirmed, holding the goblet Loki had transfigured from a book in her left hand up as if cheering to something.

He laughed, pressing his hands against his ebony trousers, "I'm a terrible villain when I am."

Jane tapped her palm against her knee, cackling loudly. Her right hand covered her mouth, but she only laughed more. "Some would argue you're a terrible villain in any state of mind."

Despite an instant retort for her statement, Loki simply chuckled, still electrified from their chaste kiss, the moment forever branded against his heart. "Are you feeling agreeable?"

"More than that! Invincible!" she said, lifting herself from the couch onto her knees. Stumbling, she lost her center of balance and neatly fell against his protective arms on the couch. Catching one more laugh, she fixed her position on the cough, crossing her legs and facing Loki. "How are you?"

Loki swallowed, nervous, "Entirely contented, Jane."

A smile slowly grew over her lips. Her head tilting, she drew closer to him, though kept a minimal distance from him. Her gaze rose to his helmet, "Do you ever take it off?"

Stilling, Loki appeared as if he had seen Erik Selvig streaking across the clouds. Color rose at his cheeks, "What are you implying?"

Jane giggled, setting the goblet on the nearby table, she replaced her attention over his helmet, her fingers lightly touching the horns, "This."

A smile gathered at his mouth, releasing a breath and laughing all at once, "Oh, that. Yes, when I'm not in any danger."

"Are you in any danger now, Loki?" Jane said, a bit too smoothly, a bit too heavy. Despite knowing better, she inched closer toward the god of mischief.

Shifting his torso, he maneuvered himself to face her, an arm resting against the back of the dark leather sofa. "No. No, I am not."

"Then, I think it should be taken off. As mighty as it appears on your handsome head, I'd really like to see you," she replied, removing her gaze from him in order to drink again.

While her attention was busied, he stole a glance at her, his stare burning, yearning, "All right." He took it off and held it in the air, dissolving the heavy headpiece. He felt bare among her eyes.

She glanced back to him and beamed, "Your hair matches the glorious color of when you're in the form of Kalt! Beautiful."

He lifted his hand to cover his smile and the rising temperature gnawing through his skin. Eventually, he lowered his pale hand and blinked twice, "You are so exposed when you are like this."

"It's why I don't drink, to be honest," she explained. "I only drink when I'm really confused, sad, or both. In graduate school, I was very interested in this boy, for he surely was no man, and he dared me to drink until I felt uplifted from this world. So I did. After I was absolutely hammered, he asked me about an assignment that was due in a few days. I told him about mine, and he stole it all. He claimed my research for himself."

Hiccupping, she frowned, "That seems to happen a lot with my research."

Loki chuckled, observing her in his silence.

"College was such a weird time for me. I was so ready to move forward in my life, but I needed degrees in order to receive grants. My father always said that I shouldn't waste so much of my time with science. He actually blamed science for ruining his marriage. I suppose his logic wasn't entire flawed, as I haven't had the time to pursue anyone for real," she reflected, her frown growing.

"Tell me more about your father?" he requested, his tone guarded.

"Sure," she said, "His name was Harry Emerson Foster. He worked for many different Labs across the world, but his life calling was studying the constellations. He nurtured my wealth of knowledge. He always believed he would have a son, and when I was born, he thought for sure that I would be a dimwitted girl. He was sorely surprised when I chose to go to science camp, instead of dancing camp every summer.

"Each year for my birthday, he would take off the whole day and take me to the deserts in New Mexico to gaze at the stars. He told me about his theories about other worlds. He was fascinated with mythology, but I wasn't. I rarely listened to him tell me about any stories from mythology. I wanted facts, and where I couldn't find facts, I would discover them. In mythology, I thought they were just stories. For the most part, they are.

"When he divorced my mom when I was three, he told me that he would be a bad father. For the most part, he was. He rarely ever talked to me. He was busy—too busy for a family. Yet he always made time for us. We never celebrated any faith, nor holiday. I rarely saw him throughout my youth. He loved me, but he loved his work more. I knew it. Everyone did. Despite sometimes being bitter toward science, he knew without it, he would die, cease to exist.

"I always wanted something like that. Something that against all odds gives you pleasure and happiness," Jane finished, sadly taking another sip from the goblet.

Loki moved closer to her, his eyes drinking her in, "For you, it is what you call science."

She shook her head, "I could never marry a molecule. Atoms can't comfort me. Theories cannot sustain conversation with me. So, no. Not entirely."

He moved back, and Jane frowned, "What?"

He looked away and stood up, "I hear footsteps. We need to get back to our room." He shifted into his wolf form quickly.

Jane stood as the handle on the door shook, opening. "You're still up, Dr. Foster?" a guard asked.

"Yea, I couldn't sleep, but I was just about to head back to my room, thanks."

"Need an escort?" he offered briefly.

Shaking her head, she tried to appear as sober as possible. "Let me clean up here, and I'll be on my way." She turned to collect the goblet, but it was already gone. "Nevermind, I will head back now."

"Have a good night, Dr. Foster."

"You, too," she murmured as the guard moved out of the library, leaving the door open. Jane glanced down at Kalt and bit her lip, highly aware of what had happened. What had she done? Out of the many stupid things she'd done in her life, tonight had been the craziest. Yet she could not regret it.

Concisely, guilt trapped her attention. Thor. Oh, dear. They weren't together, but he obviously thought they were at least involved. Jane knew she did not love him. She was sure he did not love her, not really. But she could not harbor feelings for Loki.

After all, after everything was over, he would go back to Asgard for sentencing, leaving her in his shadow. Kalt whined abruptly, sensing trouble wearing her thoughts.

She tore her gaze from him and looked anywhere else.

"Let's go."

Whatever the costs, Jane would not let herself be hurt by another god of Asgard. At all costs, she would deflect the feelings that had taken her unaware. She feared that he would be the end. She could not have that.

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_**To be continued...**_

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Please review! I love hearing from you! (:


	9. Chapter 9

**Author's Note:** Sorry for the delay! School and work were hectic, but as promised, here is chapter 9! Was anyone as excited as I was when seeing the new trailer? My tumblr is spamming Lokane for the next few days! (:

**Disclaimer(s):** I do not own Thor, the Avengers, or anything regarding any fandom. Thanks.

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_"Every moment of light and dark is a miracle."_

~Walt Whitman

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**Chapter 9**

"AH!" Natasha yelped as a shard of glass cut through her black suit and into her side under her breast. The piece was thick and etched across one of her ribs. Kneeling, Natasha's breath began to quicken as her vision shook between clarity to obscurity. Hearing footsteps near, she twitched her head over her shoulder, seeing at least fifteen Chitauri nearing her.

Her strength was fleeting. Wounds from previous encounters were already slowing her down.

Panic edged into her stomach.

"Not today," she muttered, standing up as quickly as her trembling body would allow. Leaning against a car, she was able to turn around and pull her gun upward, shooting the creatures in the face, throat, and chest. Some died. Others reluctantly stood, closing in on her.

Cursing, she looked at one of the Chitauri and choked on a bitter taste of fear. Her eyes watered. Blood rushed out of her body at an alarming pace. Her left hand crossed over her body and cradled the wound. Her vision began to fade black, shuttering between light and the need for sight.

She frantically shot at the disfigured forms still able to be seen. Her bullets expired.

Romanoff threw her gun away into the darkness, barely conscious.

Time slowed.

Tears felt like lead.

Natasha was painfully aware of the slow beating of her heart. Her pulse was in her ears, the music of her lifeblood.

She wasn't ready to die.

This wasn't fair.

Her stiffening, shaking hand lifted to her ear. "Avengers. SHIELD. It's been an absolute pleasure working with you. I thought I would see a happy ending someday after this mess, but let's face it. They've won. Loki started this, but we cannot finish it. Goodbye, friends."

Before she could hear anything from her comrades, she took earpiece in her hand and threw it to the ground beside her. Fumbling around over her suit, she took out seven small knives. The hand over the wound eventually began to take the shard out.

"AH!" she desperately shrieked. Oddly, she regained her vision long enough to see the end of a Chitauri weapon at her throat.

Smirking arrogantly, she shifted her shoulders to let her head fall to her left. Her eyes met the treacherous face of the monster about to claim her life. Quickly, she threw two of the knives at the bastard's exposed face.

The creature fell, unmoving.

Another approached her quickly. Throwing another small knife, another Chitauri fell. And then another. And another.

Eventually, silence ensued. The lack of incoming footsteps allowed her to sigh, relieved.

Moving awkwardly, Natasha was able to adjust herself against the car so she was lying on her back, observing the grey, smoke-filled sky. Just barely, the clouds peeked through the dark flying debris: papers, clothes, and soot.

In the background, she could only hear car alarms and cries for help, eventually quieting. Another dead. And then another.

The women wept precisely three tears.

Her eyes dried.

In the melancholy tones of the air above, Natasha swore she saw a flash of a large green body. Suddenly, closing her eyes, she was back on the deck back on base.

_"You care for him."_

_Her lungs felt heavy. She'd never admitted such a truth to herself, but she nodded. "When Loki was here, he told me that he would use Barton to kill me slowly, so that he may witness utter torture for himself. And after he used him to kill me, Loki would kill him even slower."_

_"And that made you realize what you felt."_

_"Exactly, but since New York, he hasn't spoken to me. I just want to be near him, but how can I with everything going on?" she added, emotion lingering at her lips._

_Closing the distance between them, he wrapped his arms around her and an unspoken message pulse through their embrace. "Cry," he ordered. And she did. She needed to. Her heart would soon weight too much to remain where it rested in her chest._

_Both of her hands covered her face and she quietly sobbed, only allowing him to catch the act. He shifted his hold to where one arm cradled her lower back, fingers spread, and one arm steadied her shoulders._

_Lowering his head, he closed his eyes and buried his face in her short red hair, breathing in her scent. His lips brushed softly over the exposed flesh of her neck, his breath heavier than appropriate._

_She felt right in his arms, but he could not say this much. Being near her had stifled his rage temporarily. He realized that the shaking body between them wasn't she, but his own._

_"Natasha," he desperately whispered against her skin. He needed to withdraw from her, but she still needed him for comfort. So, he gently tightened his arms over her body, bringing her closer._

_Responding, Natasha lifted her head from him and he mimicked the action. Their faces nearly stood at the same height, Bruce only three inches taller than she. Their noses brushed, though she moved away from him to view his features in full. Her hand smoothed his disheveled hair lightly._

_"Bruce, you won't like my request, but I want to see the Hulk."_

"Bruce," she murmured against the blood raising in her throat. Two more tears fell, synchronizing to the lethal pace of her failing heartbeat. One tear was for the moments she'd spent with him. The other fell to mourn the loss of the moments they could have had together.

Suddenly, she felt her heart clench, but not because of death.

"'You care for him,'" she repeated. Shivering, she idly moved her head up and minutely down. "Yes," she answered herself.

_"You're not stupid," he spoke matter-of-factly._

_"Compared to you, I'd argue that I was."_

_Shrugging, he chuckled lowly, "So I know a few things about gamma rays."_

_"To me, that's impressive."_

_His smile grew, "Then, that's all that matters, I suppose. But you're still not stupid."_

_Struggling with the smile that threatened, she sighed. "Why are you doing this, Bruce?"_

_Suddenly, his resolve darkened, but he still smiled slightly. Looking her directly in the eyes, he told her, "Because you're the only woman that I've tried to kill who doesn't hate me."_

_"Dr. Banner, I don't harbor grudges," she replied quietly, casting an interested glance down at the wine glass still dwindling before her. She brought her attention back to him, though._

_"No, but you get what paying a debt is."_

Her short red hair was teased with the light breeze passing by. She could swear she felt him on her skin; his touch vacant, absent, but present. Their time together had not been prolonged, nor expected. She would keep her thoughts with her in death. Eventually, she would be able to greet him kindly in the afterlife.

Her breathing erratically stirred. Her chest heaved as she pushed through the last moments of her life, needing a few more moments to reflect. Death could collect her soul in a few moments, she thought dryly.

Her vision faded to black. No longer would she see anything. She didn't need sight; she had memories. Laughter, life, spirit. These warmed her soul. She briefly thought of Clint. He'd been with her through a lot of hell. But she couldn't take him with her. Not this time.

He would grieve her death, but he would be okay. That's how he was. She would always remember her denial of the feelings he'd given to her. She would keep those in his honor and use them to remember her life fondly.

She would not be taken. She was a willing participant in death.

Swallowing, she could no longer feel her legs or arms.

Her chest felt like it was caving in on her. Breathing was now a struggle. It was impossible. Has she possessed sight, she would swear she was flying. Briefly, she felt a something large brush her cheek. Finally, a roar.

Then, nothing.

vvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvv

"Get her here! We cannot afford to lose anyone!" Nick shouted, ordering, pleading. His eyes stung. Coiling his fists, he slammed his arm against the pillar he used to support his body.

"Fury, she's gone. The Hulk had her and now Thor has her. He's is on his way with her. We have to withdraw. Something is creating more Chitauri as one dies. We've secured Alaska and White Island. Norway is different. Steve is injured. The Hulk is on a rampage. My power supply will soon fail. We need to get out so we can regroup," Tony argued. He turned the suit to the left in order to avoid a ball of light.

"...Fine," Fury spat. He could not believe the amount of failure this mission had become. They needed more help. But there was no one left. "I cannot believe this. Bruce didn't even get to Uelen." Upon hearing about the weight of the situation in Norway, he'd turned the pilot around to aid Natasha and Steve, Fury reflected.

"We're in need of a miracle," he spoke privately to no one in particular.

vvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvv

Thor paced. He wasn't terribly wounded, but his friends were. He was troubled. Ultimately, the last few days had been nonstop. He'd reunited with Lady Sif—an unexpectedly refreshing surprise. Following, all Helheim was breaking loose, it seemed.

No one was able to explain the events in the frigid place known as Norway. With all of his knowledge of the nine realms, he could not gather a concrete decision about the events traversing all around the Avengers.

Patiently, he waited outside the operating room on the SHIELD base, which had luckily been flying close to the town in Norway. Natasha may be saved. Any more time away from healers, and she might have perished.

With his hammer in his left hand, he stood near the window, his vivid blue hues observing with confusion. In battle, he had thought nothing of Loki. He missed him, despite all that had transpired between them.

In Thor's opinion, they were still family. He would always be Loki's brother. They'd grown up together. That kinship should have meant something as equally humbling to Loki. Thor did not understand why the sentiment was lost where Loki was concerned.

Sighing, he placed the hammer on a nearby table and leaned against the wall, his back to the lifeless view of Agent Romanoff.

Hearing a shuffle of the door handle, Thor's form straightened. He had sent word for Jane to see him. He needed her company if she could not give him guidance.

Sure enough, her small mortal body peeked around the iron door, smiling against the natural glow of her skin. She was magnificent, breathtaking.

Shyly, she moved from behind the large door and opened it long enough for her wolf companion to enter, too.

"Honestly, Jane. Don't you go anywhere without your furry companion?" Thor lightly questioned, though dark circles underneath his eyes hinted toward a more somber mood.

Tucking a piece of hair behind her ear, she smiled once more and chuckled softly, "You have no idea how much I try to avoid him nowadays. He's really fond of me. He's endearing."

"I'm quite sure he is," the god of thunder agreed, his smile fading. "I'm in need of your company, Jane."

Her features darkened, her brows furrowing toward the center of her face, "What's wrong? You weren't hurt were you?"

"No, I wasn't terribly wounded. I am worried about my friends, and I confess to worrying about my brother," Thor admitted quietly, his hands reaching out toward her.

She came in closer toward him and grabbed his hands in hers. Her touch was bitter, frosty, icy. It nearly shocked him. He decided that he would warm her up, so he brought her in even closer to an idle embrace, sitting down on the bench behind them both.

Jane's eyes wandered down at their joined hands and bit her lip. Her eyes glossed over. "What would you like to talk about regarding either subject?"

"Are you well, Jane? Your grasp is nearly as bitter as Jotunheim was," Thor digressed, clearly more worried for her wellbeing for now.

Jane shifted, but kept up her reserve, her features never wavering. "My room is very cold," she replied, sweetly.

Thor's features darkened. "They still treat you substantially less than you deserve?"

Shaking her head, she tightened her grasp over his, "Oh, no. I just forgot to ask them to change the temperature back. That's all."

"Good," he finished casually. Both were painfully aware of the awkward tension built up from their last encounter. Twitching his thumb, he brought her focus back up to his eyes, "Preferably Loki. I miss him dearly. My brother will never change, however. You cannot mistake my disquiet toward him for wishing he was here."

"Why not?" she hesitantly inquired, her light brown eyes absorbing his gaze.

"If Loki were here, our encounter would not be pleasant. I would be forced to take him back to Asgard for sentencing," he told her.

"Oh, what if he's changed his attitude toward all of this? What if he was remorseful?" Jane asked, the words stacking.

Lowering a brow, Thor shifted his head, pulling it back. "Why are you saying these things? You weren't there in New York. You don't know a shred of information of him."

"Be that as it may, I'd argue that you didn't either—know him," she quickly spoke, inwardly wincing at her words.

He threw her hands away from him and stood up, shoving his fist into the wall, cracking into tiny lightning shapes that travelled outside of the epicenter a few inches. Grunting, he turned to her. She flinched when she fully analyzed the look he gave her.

"You know nothing of who I was prior to my banishment!" he raged, his eyes enflamed.

Quietly, she looked away, stood, and stepped toward him so she was daringly close. Eyes never leaving his, she narrowed her lids, "You wanted my advice, Thor. You asked me for company. Why can you never receive anything but pretty, stupid words—the words you'd like to hear?"

"I am sorry, Jane, but please do not speak of my brother as if he is in your memory," he pleaded, his tone sincerely lost, broken. He'd calmed down a bit in her chiding him. She was a mortal, and he a god. She was more fragile than he realized.

"Don't talk to me as if I'm not on the same level as you are. Without my help in New Mexico, you would have been lost. You would have been as pigheaded as before—if not even more! I'm not as helpless as I seem, Thor," she angrily reminded him. She stepped back, but his arms crashed around her.

His face was close to hers. His arms were strong around her body. They nearly crashed her form. They were safe, practical, and familiar. Her eyes moved from side to side, searching for anything to make her confusion about everything go away. She felt his breath sting her skin. Odd that Loki's felt like a quiet summer evening when Jane had fallen in love with his brother.

Thor should have been the one to make her feel alive. Thor was supposed to be her hero. He was strong, masculine, and bold. Shaking—stifling the urge to cry in frustration—Jane closed the distance, kissing him eagerly, passionately, and unbridled.

Caught in the frenzy, she moved her arms upward over his neck, her hands claiming his hair as he lifted her up to angle them better. They no longer fit like two puzzle pieces. She was small to his exaggerated bulk. Desperate to find something to perhaps fall in love with again, she opened her mouth and ushered him to do the same.

Heat, passion, and nonsensical was all she felt. She began to cry, but only increased her fervor. His facial hair scratched her skin. She didn't remember that detail in their perfect first kiss. Her embrace tightened, moaning chaotically. She felt him turn them, pinning her against the wall. Her feet did not touch the floor. This annoyed her.

As his tongue eagerly matched hers, he pressed her body in the wall, crushing her. Grunting more in pain, she pulled away, laughing.

"Jane?" he questioned her, dazzled and disorderly. His hair was messy, loose from its natural perfection. As he studied her hues, his gaze hardened, drawing his head back.

She fumbled around until he let her go. She passed him and glanced down toward Kalt, the wolf whining dimly with glassy eyes. Extending her hands down to his head, she knelt down and placed her forehead against the soft, velvet texture of Kalt's fur. She closed her eyes.

Lightly, she brushed her lips over Kalt's dark snout, her eyes fluttering open. His periwinkle-azure eyes softened. Standing, turning away from Kalt, her eyes were moist, but her features firm. "Thor," she whispered vacantly.

"Jane?" he replied, lost, dazed.

Biting her lip, Jane looked away and softened her features as she glanced down at her joined hands, raised to her waist. Catching whatever valor she possessed, she threw her gaze into his and sadly smiled, "You're not good enough for me."

"What are you saying? What just happened was spectacular!" he fought, his features breaking. He took a step toward, and she took as step back.

"You treat me like I'm something to protect solely to raise your masculine image," she confessed. Her smile faded as she turned around toward the door, opening it, her head looking over her shoulder. "I may be a mortal, but I'm equally as gifted as you with my own means."

"Jane…" he said, his voice cracking as he stepped toward her again.

"No," she commanded, "don't follow me. You're too late. I waited not only for you, but also for the day that I could accept you as a hero. I don't want a hero! I want an equal."

Remaining silent, he nodded, turning away from her. Her heart should have broken; instead, it healed a bit. She left him in his solitude, Kalt following her closely. Her slow, casual steps sped up into a sprint all the way to the library with a renewed sense of spirit. She needed to speak with Loki.

vvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvv

Bruce darted from the landing deck upon landing. He wore an airman's suit for the lack of clothes upon shifting back into his human form. Tears flew passed him in the air behind him as he chased fate all the way to the medical department. All the way to the back of the ship. The path before him had been the longest in his entire existence.

Clenching his jaw, he fought against his pain.

He needed to see her. Alive. "_Natasha_," he pleaded, a prayer and curse to whoever allowed this to happen.

He couldn't lose her. He'd lost his humanity. He'd lost his family. He'd lost his sanity. He couldn't lose his heart, too. He feared he wouldn't be able to control himself again.

Hope was his only company.

Invisible heartstrings guided him through the corridors to where she was. Everything was a blur.

Drying his eyes, he continued to run—all the way to her.

Rounding a corner, he arrived at the medical department. Shifting his body to avoid a stray hand to stop him, he rushed to her side. She laid on the table, lifeless. A machine was breathing for her.

"We need to do another transfusion. Else she will die in a matter of minutes even with the machines helping her," a doctor said, choosing to ignore Bruce for the moment. They'd worked together in his lab before.

Someone pushed against Bruce's form. He simply stood there, observing the sight before his eyes. He had had her in his grasp back in Norway, his large green, monstrous fingertips caressing her face.

He'd lost control. Instantly. He hadn't realized how real his feelings were until the news of her at death's door. Coiling a fist, he swallowed and tuned the world out. He gathered that a nearby nurse was guiding him away from the room during the procedure. He heard no words. He had only sight.

And the world he now knew terrified him to his very core. "She can't die," he chanted over and over until his lungs exhausted. He saw the door close on him. There was a small round window into the room. From where he stood, he saw her features: peaceful. What had she been thinking of? _Who_ had she been thinking of?

He had no right to be jealous, but he was. He absolutely knew she'd remembered Clint Barton. Why was this world disgustingly cruel to him? Did he not deserve to be happy? Was he not allowed the illusion of happiness?

As the new blood entered her system, he heard faintly the fatal, drawn _beep_. She was dead! Anger raged within. He felt the Hulk beckoning. How free he would be from within the Hulk! He craved it.

Until he heard another pulse followed by another. Fresh tears stung his eyes, a small, desperate smile attached itself to his lips.

"As long as she lives, she doesn't ever have to care for me. Unless she openly pursues me, I won't pursue her. Only if she survives, whoever can hear me. _Save her,_ please," he whispered: truly in agony once more.

vvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvv

Despite the commotion Kalt was making, Jane ignored him until they reached the library. Ensuring the space was abandoned, Jane closed and bolted the doors. Shifting into his normal form, Loki strode toward her and took her arm in his large, cold hand.

"What just happened, Jane?"

"Hush, Loki," she said, excitedly guiding him beyond a row of books, concealing them within the faint glow of the fire behind the massive wall of books. Her hand captured his, and she smiled.

"Enough! Tell me what I inquired," he rose, irritable. His voice was crisp, his demeanor dismissive.

Jane backed up into the row and released her hand over his. Never leaving his wonderful stare, she boldly said, "I'm scared of this, of you, and of what you make me feel."

Shaking his head, he released her arm and closed the short distance between them. "What do you mean? You're frightened of _me_?"

She shook her head quickly, placing her fingertips over his lips. "Oh, no. You make me feel confused, complete, and cowardly. You kissed me and I convinced myself that you're absolutely wrong in every way for me possible. I needed to find myself in all of this, Loki. You're insatiable, incredible. That's what caught me off guard."

"So you don't love him?" he hesitantly questioned. He brought his head forward, their noses brushing. Her breathing intensified, deepened.

Her left eye narrowed, twitching. She moved forward and offered herself at only a hairsbreadth away. "No, I don't."

"Is this why you've been as distant?" he asked.

She nodded in response. "I was comparing you to Thor in the sense that I thought that if I let myself explore these feelings, you'd just leave me because who's to say you won't have to go to Asgard and complete a sentence that extends further than I live? My pride told me that you'd only leave me alone like everyone else," she paused, her whole body shivering, "but I'm done overanalyzing every small detail of my life. This feels natural, right."

Pleased, Loki smiled, sealing a kiss over her imperfect lips. "Am I really allowed to be with you?"

"You're so much more than you let yourself think you to be, Loki. There's no way I would want you if there wasn't something brilliant, or good, or humble about you," she told him, closing her lips over his briefly.

"It pleases me to hear that you think me differently than everyone else," he replied softly.

Her forehead rested against his, and they mutually exhaled, eyes closed. "This won't be easy, Loki."

"I find that nothing is ever easy when I am involved."

She chuckled. Eventually, she opened her eyes and found that he'd already done so, "Can you heal Agent Romanoff?"

Swallowing, he brought her in his arms and placed soft kisses across her cheek, nose, and neck. "I can certainly try."

"Thank you," she choked, caught up in the moment.

He straightened and reached for her hands, bringing their joined hands up at her chest near her heart, "And Jane, no matter what becomes of me, I will find a way back to you. Always."

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_**To be continued...**_

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REVIEW! It's been too long since hearing from you! Also, I've planned out a sequel! If interests still follow this story, I can promise another installment! (:


	10. Chapter 10

**Author's Note:** This story is basically writing itself! Iv'e never written so much so quickly in all of my life! Ha! Well, this chapter introduces Steve's role in this story a bit more clearly. I hope this chapter gives you enough feels and enough exposure to the plot, too! Thank you for those who PM'd me or reviewed this story! I'm nearly at 50 reviews! I never expected this story to turn out so well! Thank you for your kind and constructive words!

**Disclaimer(s):** I do not own Thor, the Avengers, or anything regarding any fandom. Thanks.

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_"I exist as I am, that is enough."_

~Walt Whitman

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**Chapter 10**

The dark horizon gave Loki comfort. Through the moderate size of the window, he gazed up at the constellations and eventually moved his light hues down to see the smoking city. His chest constricted. They called this place Norway. Jane had been summoned by the man called Fury just after he'd shifted back into his wolf disguise back in the library.

He told Jane that she would be joining the Avengers. There had been no other choice. She'd been the one to first open a wormhole. Loki was worried. Incredibly so. They would train her to use a gun. Jane had told them that she did not wish to handle one. They'd replied that she had no option to refuse.

Her memories had caught him completely unaware. She'd been quite the recluse in her youth. Jane hadn't made consistent contacts aside from her wayward father and Erik. She'd been raised by herself. Loki admired her composure.

She had every reason to give into the emotions that still chewed at her heels; yet, she had never truly let go of herself. He'd heard thoughts in every memory. She was more mentally capable than would ever amount to be: a mortal!

If Jane was sent off to fight with the fallen Avengers, he would join her. His only place was by her side. If he needed to reveal himself to everyone, he would. Loki would not, however, go back to Asgard until he secured her safety.

Jane was an odd woman. She insisted that she didn't need to be the damsel, but she did not possess any abilities aside from her intellect and resourcefulness. She did need protection, but at the same time, he could not deny her admirable mental capacities. She would neither run into battle, nor run from it.

If the battle ran into her, she would fight back until she could no longer.

He still could not stifle the trembles from hearing that Jane would be a part of this mess. She was not agile like that Romanoff woman. She could not depend on heightened senses, such as strength, aim, or accuracy, like Thor or Clint Barton. He certainly hoped she would never shift into that green beast.

Jane was a rather ordinary mortal quipped with an extraordinary mind and wit.

He would be her shield. She continued to protect him. So he would give his life to her if such an occasion call for such a solution. He had no time to worry or fear, though. Where she went, he would follow. In life and in death, he would love her.

Swallowing, he relaxed against the wall to his left, still by the glass. There it was: love. The term was such an oddity to him. Even though his mother still claimed to love him, Loki had resented the term, eventually to the point where he craved nothing more than to destroy everything capable of loving.

When he'd arrived before Thanos, the monster had beaten him until he only felt hatred, pain, and anger. He'd fallen into Jane and had ultimately learned what it meant to love someone wholly, unconditionally. She'd unconditionally accepted him and all of the many faults. She accepted that he had slain other mortals.

She didn't like it, but Jane was able to see something in him no one had ever witnessed-including himself.

His body was still, quiet. His features were frozen.

Suddenly, he remembered something Thor had said to her. Something about her being as cold as Jotunheim.

This unsettled him. What was she enduring? Why was this happening? Their connection was strong. They'd been able to see each others memories, hear the others thoughts within those pieces of time, and feel feelings belonging to the other. He'd hated it at first, but now, he basked in discovering her further.

When had their connection begun? How had it been possible? Why had it happened? He'd entertained such questions prior to leaving that cabin. What if their connection allowed Thanos to track her? Loki would cease existing should his mistakes be her slayer.

He could not fathom such things now.

He had to focus on the present. He could not become distracted by anything. Yet, concurrently, he needed to devise a plan for every scenario. He never progressed through life without planning every detail of his endeavors. He needed to be alert and on guard not only for his own life now, but hers, too. He didn't know what it meant to be responsible for another person's life.

Lifting an arm, he supported his body on his elbow on the wall. His eyes never left the view beyond the window. He swallowed once more. He and Jane had agreed that they needed to wait for the middle of the night in order to get to Agent Romanoff undetected. They briefly discussed him shifting into her, but didn't know how well that would bode should he get caught. His speech was far more different than hers.

That, and if Thor tried to approach him as she and attempted to stick his tongue down his throat or embrace him, he would instantly use his powers. That would throw his cover and their plans. He cringed, disgusted at such a thought.

He hadn't even been the one to bring such a revolting ordeal up. No, that pleasure belonged to Jane entirely.

No, she would go to the injured Avenger, and he would follow while invisible. His strength had long since recovered. His powers were scarcely ever limited, so he should not have any problems healing the girl.

Reflecting honestly inward, he wanted not to heal the woman. His darker self desired to let the woman die. One Avenger down. Loki had silenced that inner voice because of Jane. He was far from changed, but she gave him the strength to rest his pained soul down and actually live: simply experience.

He would do it because maybe if she recovered swiftly, Jane wouldn't have to fight.

His fists coiled. He was enormously fearful of who he would become without her by his side. With her, he had reason to be happy, to behave approvingly. Without her, he dared not think on what he would become.

vvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvv

Jane observed his form by the window. He stayed like a statue in time: frozen, numb, indescribably beautiful to her, especially in the dim light of the moon.

He appeared deep in thought. Inwardly, she wished she could have the chance to hear his thoughts. They'd briefly discussed their plans, though neither was comfortable with the lack of planning they had been able to pursue.

Jane felt compelled to draw him out of his thoughts. She was apprehensive about what they may have guided him toward.

Jane turned her head the opposite direction so he wouldn't think her a creepy stalker.

"What'll we do if they discover you're here?" Jane directed as she absentmindedly rested on the queen-sized bed in her room. A finger was twirling a strand of her long brown hair.

Movement indicated that Loki was shifting toward the bed from the window. Loki gracefully placed himself next to her on the bed. Turning, he folded his left leg over the bed. Quietly, he watched her restlessly move. For the god of mischief—someone practiced in disguising, secrecy, and deceit—movement was similar to weakness. Movement triggered sounds, which blew covers.

"Do you always absently move?" he quietly inquired, his voice luxurious and curious.

This caused her to stop playing with her hair, shifting herself onto her back and turning her head toward him. "I've always moved. My mother was overridden with anxiety, and I always saw her doing these things. When I was little—around two—my father told me that I wanted to be exactly like her, so I would mimic her movements. When they divorced, he explained that continuing these pointless movements, nervous ticks, whichever you call them, would make me feel like she was there."

"You were lonely," he added, clarifying. He rose, standing off to the side of the bed, and climbed into the bed with her. Casually, he set his head on her stomach and reached for her hand, claiming it in his.

"Who isn't? Especially as an only child with only an absent father for company," she joked, her tone waning. When she paused, her free hand began to travel along his pointed cheekbone, gooseflesh spreading over his face.

Turning his head toward her hand, he closed his eyes and memorized the quaint comfort her touch gave to him. "Neither of us will keep loneliness in our company again."

She nodded, closing her eyes to enjoy their moment. "I hope I'm capable of that."

"Why would you not be, Jane?" he questioned, the texture of his voice smooth, but wary.

Sighing, her hand stilled over his face lightly, "I've always counted on it being here with me. I know how silly that sounds, but to me, loneliness was the only constant thing in my life for such a long time."

He understood completely. He remembered thinking the same sentiment once. Smiling, he turned his head on her abdomen and kissed her palm, "You now have me to keep."

"Yea, I guess I do," she replied, her voice calm. Pausing, she bit her lip and added, "You have me, too, Loki."

"This, I know, Jane," he whispered.

Jane sat up and gently eased his head into her lap, her legs crossing. Observing him from above, Jane gathered her features to fit uneasiness.

Catching this, Loki sat up and caught her cheek to turn her attention back to him, "What is troubling you?"

"Why is my body changing? My body temperature is falling, but I remain unaffected. I should be ill-severely ill," she fumbled, nervous.

"Our connection is strong than I realized. The natural temperature that my body sustains is lower than usual because I was born not as an Asgardian, but a Jotun, a Frost Giant," he informed her, eyes never leaving hers.

"Am I becoming a Frost Giant, too? Otherwise, what else will happen to me? I can't explain to others why I feel abnormal, Loki. We can't go on without understanding it," she reasoned, her voice frantic and somewhat helpless.

Smiling, he shook his head, "You are of mortal birth. I have never heard of anyone becoming a Frost Giant. One must be born. And Jane, our connection is much greater than either you and me. Doubtful, I am acutely lacking in belief that you will be changing much else."

"You don't understand! I need to understand it! I can't ignore something like this," she countered, her hands fidgeting in unison at her lap.

"Jane, you have my word that this will not deteriorate you. If our connection was of malice, you would have already perished," he told her, disregarding his unease. He recognized the necessity to calm her nerves. Neither could afford to be greatly distracted.

Her eyes were urgent, demanding. Pleading, she whined. Yes, whined. She was frustrated. "I wish I could be so sure."

"You will have to exercise trust in me, Jane," Loki mentioned, his eyes stilled and reassuring.

"That's not fair, Loki. I trust you completely," she retorted, whispering.

Lowering his forehead to rest against hers, he lightly pecked her cheek, "Then trust my words."

Her knuckles rose against his cheek, moving down to his chin. Faintly, she grinned, "Okay."

Loki claimed her lips quickly and pulled back. "We are needed elsewhere, Jane."

"I know. It's well past time for the doctors to go to bed for the night. Fury told me they'd finally stabilized her," she agreed. She closed her eyes and exhaled, calm.

Loki claimed her hands and brushed his lips against her fingertips lightly, " Let us move quickly, then."

vvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvv

Eighteen hours. Nothing. No voice, breath, movement. Nothing to indicate she would be okay again. Every minute that pressed on was another minute he wished for death. He couldn't have imagined that he'd felt so deeply for someone he'd only recently noticed.

Bruce was on the edge: caught in the crossfires of reason and insanity.

He should have been there with her. The Avengers should not have split up. Together they were invincible. Apart, they were breakable.

He should never have agreed to the plans in the first place. Dr. Banner didn't understand why he hadn't.

Sighing, he continued to stare at the door. He hadn't moved in fifteen hours, arriving three hours after she had to the base. With every breath, he felt his chest weigh down his lungs, his heart.

Including her, he hadn't a single loved one. He'd spent years beating any trace of emotion lingering in his human bones. All for nothing. He didn't want this. He needed her alive. He needed her.

Bending his knees to rest his elbows upon them, he pressed his hands together, flattening. Slowly, his hands moved so that his index fingers touched his mouth and nose.

"Please," he hoarsely pleaded. The lack of hydration caused his voice to scratch at his throat.

"Bruce?" he heard from his left. He didn't look at anything besides the iron door. "You have to get some rest," the voice reasoned.

The figure bent down and joined him on the floor, a hand sitting over his shoulder. Bruce didn't have the energy required to shove the body away. Reflecting, Bruce recalled the voice belonging to Steve. "I will not leave her," Bruce warned, his voice cracking.

"She is stable," Steve said amiably, hopeful.

"She is barely alive. She only exists," Bruce amended.

Steve lightly shook his hand over the other Avenger's shoulder. "When she gets better, she'd prefer you to be well rested. You know she doesn't like to be indebted to anyone."

This caught the Hulk's alter's attention. Snapping his head toward Captain America, he shifted away from his grasp, "Don't talk about her as if I don't know anything about her. Don't speak for her, either."

"I'm sorry, Dr. Banner. I'm trying to mediate through the obvious reactions that will only sentence you to bed rest, too. Don't you want to be here for when she wakes up?"

"That's why I'm right here," Bruce fought, desperate for any kind of clarity he could claim.

"She needs you to be well, Bruce. I'll stay here until you get some rest. If anything happens, I will immediately come get you. You'll be the first she sees," Steve assured, promising. His expression was sincere, yet authoritative. There had always been some unspoken understanding that it was he that led the Avengers. He was their mediator between everyone's vibrant personalities and abilities. Leadership suited him well.

So, Bruce nodded. "Fine," he tiredly responded. When he did not move, Steve sighed. "Give me a moment, will you?" Bruce retorted.

"That door won't change shape, nor the contents inside in a matter of minutes," Steve humbly replied.

Bruce's eyes shifted toward Steve with traces of malice, slowly dimming with unguarded trepidation. "What if something happened to her? What would I do?"

Steve turned a bit toward his comrade, "I will help you through whatever outcome, Bruce." Steve placed his hand back on Bruce's shoulder. "Now, go to bed."

Reluctantly, Bruce stood up. Turning, he waved an idle hand above his head, whispering, "Yes, Captain."

Steve Rogers observed him walking down the hall in the direction of his quarters. Bruce was so open in his emotions, lately. He hadn't though his attention toward Natasha had been appropriate or valid. Fury had even just instructed him to get Bruce to back off.

Clint Barton was obviously affected by their interactions, though he made no complaints about why. He cared for Agent Romanoff, and he knew that he was too late.

Witnessing Bruce in this state, Steve was entirely positive his fascination for Natasha was credible. He would support his friend. No matter what rules it defied, he would not break them apart.

He could see the way Natasha worried over Bruce, too. During the helicopter ride to Norway, She'd said something…odd.

_"Do you think Bruce will hurt anyone?" the Black Widow quietly spoke against the harsh wind rocking the aircraft._

She'd not said the Hulk. Natasha had said Bruce. He'd found that odd at the time, but reflecting on the instance now, Steve was highly aware that she may not see two beings in one body: only one. If that were true, then she must have accepted the Hulk as a part of who Bruce is. Had she fallen in love with the monster, too?

The Hulk was not a monster, though. Everyone else made to be one. Maybe she had seen him in the Hulk form quite recently. Maybe she had helped him control the green beast.

Catching a glimpse of the truth, he understood why Bruce cared for her so deeply. He'd found someone who accepted every fragment of every flaw and strengths even when Bruce himself could not.

Breaking his thoughts, footsteps neared.

vvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvv

Jane followed the halls to the medical wing. She prayed to every deity that she wouldn't bump into anyone. Loki was somewhere close to her. He was silent; she couldn't hear his footsteps, nor detect his presence.

She shook her hand as she walked. Rounding a corner, she heard two voices. As she listened, she recognized the voices to be Steve Rogers' and Dr. Banner's. The words were unrecognizable, but she was sure it was the two Avengers around the corner.

Panic set in her belly. What if they failed? Her heart began to race and her body lightly perspired. Her breathing became heavy and loud.

Suddenly, she felt someone touch her hand, grabbing it and collecting it in their grasp. Turning her head, she saw no one. _Loki_. Her eyes moved up to the height he stood over her and her expression was fleetingly aware of the consequences of this operation. Then, his lips touched her head.

All fear, panic, and anxiety left in an instant. Like magic. She softly smiled, her eyes closing. She recollected herself. Upon going back to listening to their faint voices, she heard nothing. Loki left her hand and she noted how cold she was again, empty without his hand in hers. She would not dwell on such thoughts for now, though.

After a moment, she took a low, deep breath and rounded the corner, her hands in front of her as she stepped closer to the operating room's door.

"Jane," she heard Steve call down the hall. In the failing light of the hall, she could see his form standing, walking closer to her. "What are you doing here?"

"I came here to see her earlier, but Thor and I fought, so I left rather quickly. I was hoping to wait late enough so that he would be sleeping," Jane reasoned. He didn't seem to find any flaw in her statement, but he still blocked her way into the door. "I don't think it's wise to go in there. Bruce is very protective of her right now and should anything happen, he would be the first to rampage about this place."

"I understand, I'll just wait out here, then. Is that okay?" she apprehensively asked, biting her lip.

Nodding, Steve Rogers joined her by the small opening in the iron door. Natasha had been cleaned, and her wounds were closed. She still relied on the machines in order to breath. She was unresponsive. Her heart rate was slow, showing Jane that should any machine be tampered with, she would die.

"What happened?" Jane inquired softly.

"Thor didn't tell you?" Steve asked, truly baffled. The way he spoke about her implied a strong bond: love even.

"He only tells me what is convenient for him. Otherwise, he doesn't tell me much," she explained, her voice saddened by the realization. They'd once been so close—well for the whole three days he'd been banished.

"Well, Agent Romanoff and I were assigned to Norway. It should have been easy enough, but we soon discovered that something was off. For each Chitauri we killed, others were conceived out of thin air. We lacked manpower, so naturally we had to fall back. When I took a pretty bad hit, Natasha moved in front of me and took an attack that was sure to kill me.

"She ran away so that the surrounding Chitauri would follow her. I gathered she wanted me to heal. I couldn't just leave her alone, so I took one moment to recollect my strength, and I set out to find her. We could not separate, yet she did. I couldn't find her. And then I heard her speak for what should have been the very last time. I rummaged through the streets and could not find her. I avoided what Chitauri I could and killed those I could not.

"So many people died there. Their cries for help would crescendo loudly and fade into nothingness. I won't ever forget that silence," he paused, sadly reflecting on the incident. Shaking his head, he continued, "I eventually heard a rather familiar roar. The Hulk was there, and he had likely found her dying. I followed the sound and was ushered by the sight of her in his hand, lifeless."

"I'm sorry I caused all of this," Jane sadly told him.

Steve shook his head and collected the most appropriate words. Eventually, he replied, "I cannot blame you. You didn't intend for any of this to happen."

"Who's to blame, then?"

"Loki," he maliciously stated, his hands coiling.

He heard her sigh, "I wonder if he's truly as bad as everyone makes him to be. What if he was simply influenced by someone who took away all that was good in him in the first place?"

"You would defend someone who tried to kill not only his own kind, but the human race, too?" Steve argued, disbelieving.

Jane shrugged casually, "I wouldn't defend that person. What if he wasn't that type of being in the first place? I'm just curious of this guy, you know? I've never met him. In my experience, what's on the surface never is the whole story."

"If I thought him capable of goodness, I would not be so avidly disgusted by his presence," Steve retaliated. How could she say anything good about Loki?

"I guess I don't judge anything until I've seen it for myself," she sighed.

"I know you know something, Jane. The question is: what?" Captain America warned her.

Jane stood her ground, composed, "Beats the shit out of me."

"I-" he started, caught off guard by Jane turning toward the glass, instead of matching his heated gaze.

"She's awake! Quick, you must go get a doctor!" Jane declared, her eyes lush with relief.

Steve gaped into the hole and saw that she was indeed awake. "Impossible," he said, quickly moving Jane out of the way so he could open the door and press the emergency button within.

Suddenly, the corridors erupted with the sirens and he almost needed to cover his ears from the intensity of the sounds. Doctors rushed in nearly immediately and he ran out of the room to expect to find Jane. But she was gone. He assumed she was going to collect Fury or anyone that would care about Natasha's recovery.

He ran to collect Bruce, telling the doctors not to let any of the Avengers or staff in the room until Dr. Banner had seen her. As he ran, he saw Bruce racing toward him. "She's awake, Bruce!" he reassured, seeing the terrifying expression embedded within Dr. Banner's features. He noticed at least a thousand emotions fight for dominance over his expression.

As Bruce ran passed him, Steve halted and looked back at Banner's moving form. Something was off as far as Jane was concerned. He felt it; he knew it. And he would get to the bottom of it.

vvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvv

Jane was out of breath. After realizing that Loki had done something to heal Natasha, she had instantly darted off to collect Erik or Fury: whomever she ran into first. After a quick conversation with both, she sent them down to the medical wing.

Now, no one could say she suspiciously disappeared. At least not completely.

She didn't know where Loki was, but she felt it was best to retire to her room. Upon arriving, she loudly shut the door and locked it behind her. Heaving, she exhaled and leaned against the door for support.

"I really need to get into shape," she commented as she felt absolutely beat.

"I would agree to that statement," a voice responded from the shadows of her dark room.

She left the wanting support of her door and walked further into the room, seeing Loki standing at the foot of the bed. "You did it! How?"

"You took too long with the conversation between you and that so-called captain, so I took it upon myself to improvise," he replied sweetly, his voice relaxing as she came into view.

"Who's to say I wasn't distracting him for you?" she countered.

"Were you?" he politely asked, his features amused.

"No, but maybe my instincts were," she admitted, smiling playfully.

He returned her smile and stepped once toward her. "Quick-witted, mortal."

"I will interpret that into a compliment," Jane quietly said, her voice fluid against the background noises of the base. Even from her room she could hear the faints stirring of the alarm. Abruptly, her features tightened.

"What is troubling you, Jane?" he asked, worried.

Swallowing nervously, she closed the distance and reached for his hand, sitting down. He mimicked her action and gave her his full attention. "I want to know what happened in New York from your prospective."

His features darkened, "Do I repulse you as well, Jane?"

She slowly shook her head, "No, not when you're with me. You're different. I just want to know all of who you are, were, and will be. Everyone says all of these horrible, justifiably so, things about who you were. I defend the character you have now, but I won't defend the actions you've done—at least not until I know about them from your own experience."

His hand cupped her cheek, and he sighed, "I do not want to lose you."

She shook her head, "You can't hide from me, either."

Nodding in response, Loki brought her fingertips to his lips and forlornly frowned. "Disguise and hiding has been a part of my persona always. Yet, I do not desire such qualities to extend to you. I will explain to you what occurred, but I ask only for enough time for me to reflect upon those events so I may appropriately describe the being I used to be in an accurate fashion."

Her eyes closed as her head bowed. He moved toward her so that her head fit perfectly in the crook of his neck. "All right, Loki." Her voice trembled. Now that she was aware that she couldn't pretend he wasn't the villain of the New York attack, she feared what he might say when the time came for her to hear his story.

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_**To be continued...**_

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Who is interested in a sequel? Please review! (:


	11. Part II: Chapter 11

**Author's Note:** I'm ridiculously sorry for the amount of time that has passed! Finals, work, and summer school have been eating away my time! I will continue to have a slight delay in posting, as school begins anew for the fall, but I shouldn't ever leave you without an update any longer than a week with this story. This is my priority among the other stories I have began writing and planning. Thank you for your continued support in my endeavors! You're a blessing in times of chaos.

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_You are the avalanche_  
_One world away_  
_My make believing_  
_While I'm wide awake_

_Just a trick of light_  
_To bring me back around again_  
_Those wild eyes_  
_A psychedelic silhouette_

_~ "Salvation"_ by Gabrielle Aplin

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**Chapter 11**

Bright lights stung Natasha's eyes. At first, a familiar taste of green feasted over her hues. The pain had gone away. She'd heard _his_ voice, whispering something in a different language she did not recognize. Her soul seemed to mend with the skin upon her body. The bright light concealed a dark figure over at her right.

As quickly as the figure had been coherently present, the tall skinny stature was gone; however, her ears began to ring. Time halted. The bright light of the operation room faded and suddenly he was brought back to Stark Tower just before Loki had been taken down.

Yet there was no sound, wind, or living beings.

Natasha was well, as she was standing. "What?" she perplexedly spoke. She lifted her chin to view the sky and the surroundings. Her body tuned, catching Loki standing before her. Instantly, she ran toward him and shoved her fist at his face, but the image of him simply swerved like a hologram.

A wily grin broke his features. "Is that the best you are capable of throwing toward me?"

Her fist attempted to meet with his face once more, but again failed, her whole body seeming to move through Loki's projection as he walked forward.

"What do you want, Loki?" she shouted, stepping backward to relieve space between them.

He sniggered, smiling vulnerably. There were traces of honesty, openness, and repentance in his still arrogant hues. He stepped forth and halted a foot before her, lowering to speak into her ear, "I yearn for happiness, freedom, and life. In the company of those treasures for which I do not deserve, I hunger for power, peace, and purity."

Natasha's features constricted to the center of her face. "Stop playing around and tell me what's going on!" she ordered.

Loki's eyes darkened. "To what degree do you believe me to be playing around? I am no boy."

"I'd argue that you were," she replied.

Loki sighed and gathered her attention, fixing it over her eyes. "I argue that I am not. Such an impasse this is," he mentioned, bored.

"I'll give you one last chance to tell me what this is, Loki."

Lifting his brow with devastating interest, Loki lowered his head and smiled. "This space is my own private piece in the nine realms unable to be accessed by others."

Natasha backed away from him, uncomfortable. "Why should that explain what this is?"

"In terms your kind would surely understand, this is all an image of your own making. My powers still connect me to you. I have healed you," he explained, his voice fluid and slow.

Exhaling, Natasha raised her brow, "Why?"

Loki shifted his head downward, off to the side. Sighing briefly, he moved his legs apart, bringing his arms behind his back. His jaw tightened. He appeared as if he did not wish to reveal crucial information about himself. "The task was bequeathed to me by someone whom I regard highly."

"The only person you'd ever regard highly is yourself and your sick, damned agenda, Loki. Spare me a speech of a newly acquired sense of humility," she casually retorted. Her tone was mocking, cold, and unbreakably stern.

Loki saw red. He seemed to fly toward her, although he simply strode toward her so quickly. He towered over her, eyes wet and wide. He fixed his jaw and never left her gaze, "Your lack of a good opinion on my character means not to me. There is only one within all the nine realms to see me for what I truly am."

Natasha remained silent, unused to such a show of emotion from the man she despised. He sniggered, eyes drying. "You and your cohorts are only capable of beholding an illusion. I even began to buy into such a farce. She has guided me to clarity. To her, I am bound."

"Where are you?" she finally spoke, unbelieving him capable of sincerely caring about someone else. "I mean in the regular world?"

He smirked, "Close, yet far enough to hide for now."

"What are you after, if not to destroy my home?" Natasha questioned, fully dissatisfied with his open-ended answer.

His brows lifted. "Inquisitive, are we? What makes you fathom I would lower myself to your level to inform you of my motifs?"

"You said you've changed, or at least implied such. Without proof, I won't have reason to even listen to whatever it is you are trying to tell me," she lamely said.

He closed his eyes as his smirk fell. Taking a breath, he opened his lids and began to circle her slowly, his steps calculated in their distance. "My indiscretions here—New York—fail to encumber nearly as severely as to whom is now wanting me dead. Thanos is its name. And then there is The Other. They gave me an army in exchange for the Tesseract."

"Why haven't we found any evidence of this?"

He stifled the urge to roll his light, frost-like eyes, "Inquire you Nick Fury about such an occurrence." Pausing, he swallowed. "They are here—no longer after only me. They sense her importance to my heart." She saw the god of mischief still, clearly making out the fear trembling his bones.

"Her? Who are you protecting?" Natasha asked, no longer impatient. The Avenger's tone slackened, eager to discover unknown information of her enemy.

Loki stopped his idle circling about the lady Avenger, quickly facing her in a militant manner. "No. No matter what we prefer, we must combine our talents. She must not be harmed." He was speaking rhetorically, she gathered.

She lifted her right brow, "What makes you think we will consent to work with you, Loki?"

He moved his head toward her, but his gaze was still looking at the ground. "Because of whom my lady is. She is too vital to lose in this—knows too much to be lost now in regards to SHIELD."

Stomping her heel, she regained his full attention. "_Who_ is she?"

Swallowing, his eyes saddened. "Jane. Jane Foster."

She lost her breath. "What?"

"You coherently understand me. I will not repeat myself," he warned.

"She's known of your presence this whole time and not told any of us?" Natasha reverberated. When he only nodded in reply, she shouted in anger. "You're a parasite to anyone who crosses you path, Loki. Thor loves her!"

His features darkened, he held out his hand and thrust her gently against a wall, slowly walking to her. His hand remained raised. "I have lusted after one percent the affection Thor receives from all beings. He's the favored one. He's the honest one. He's the hero, and I his shadow only.

"How convenient it is to have his woman reciprocate my attention is it? Do not think for one instant that I ever used my powers to gain control of her mind or will. Thor cannot give to her what she finds in me. I have wasted my life until meeting her, so rest assured that _precious_ Thor will understand that I need her, whilst he wants an image of who she merely once was."

"Thor is my friend. You were my enemy. If Thor's mind is affected by this information, he may give into a darker side we haven't seen before," Natasha reasoned. "He's valuable to the Avengers as she is."

"He will fare well, mortal. I hear a mutual companion is about to distract him and keep him in the mouth of battle," he responded, his mind lethally aware of what Thor would potentially do. "I spared your life, and in return, I require your silence for her sake."

"If you're asking for silence, why bother telling me this in the first place?"

Loki sadly paused, his mouth lamely loosening. "One day very soon I will no longer be enough to protect her from both of our mistakes. Thanos knows of our connection and will likely strike at her to retaliate against my failure with the Tesseract. He would kill her before I could even scratch him. I need allies."

"This doesn't make us allies, but I will help you protect her, if only for Thor's sake. "

"You will know when to lead the Avengers against our mutual enemy. I bid you farewell," he murmured as the bright light overhead once more appeared, dissolving Loki's phantom.

Her eyes adjusted to the heaven-like light. Eventually, a shadow loomed over her. A head, she made out. Blocking the light from her weakened eyes, she saw Bruce mouthing her name.

Had she lost her hearing? No, she realized. Sounds seeped through her ears slowly.

"Natasha!" she heard him say, finally.

Blinking repeatedly, she brought her hand to her face to find her skin was smooth. Her other hand instantly cupped the wound from the glass, only there were no longer any traces of it. "Impossible," she uttered.

Bruce set his hand over hers and caught her attention. "You've come back to me."

Wincing, she sluggishly sat up, her other hand moving atop his and clutching it tightly. "Always," she barely whispered, smiling like an idiot.

A few doctors asked her to lie back down, but she simply shook off their hands over her weakened body. Her eyes shifted back toward Bruce. He sent her an unsteady smile. His eyes saddened as he drew a deep breath. Finally, his lips sealed, forming a straight, flat line: not a smile, not a frown. Neutral. Distant. _Cold._

Her lungs wavered as she also inhaled. Simultaneously, they exhaled. Her eyes adjusted to the confusion she felt, widening.

"Bruce, what's wrong?" she hesitantly spoke.

His jaw tightened as his eyes moved away from her. Easing his hands away from hers gently, Dr. Banner edged away from where she sat. "Nothing's wrong, Agent Romanov."

Suddenly, he was walking away from her. And her legs unconsciously moved to stand, but her feet were shaking as if they were unused to the weight they carried. Grunting, she pulled herself up from the movement of falling toward the ground. Her arm supported her feeble body—barely—on a nearby chair. "Ow," she winced, her side still sore.

Bruce headed toward the left from the medical room, obviously heading toward the outside deck. Limping, Natasha struggled on behind him, eventually losing sight of him completely. Somehow she knew he would be there. He had to be. It was the only place that he could change into the Hulk without threat of hurting anyone.

Surprisingly, her medical team favored for leaving her to her endeavors, clearly able to stand coherently and move on her own. Natasha grunted with each and every step, but pressed forward with as much urgency as a calm morning breeze in summer. Life was finally becoming interesting again. And she bit back an entertained smile as she realized that once again, the excitement had been linked to Loki once more—only this time round, they weren't complete enemies.

vvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvv

In the strange, still silence of slumber, Jane heard a voice call out toward her from an unknown space within her mind. A bright, golden beam of light stifled the prior darkness.

Jane instantly looked to her left and then to her right and back again, searching for anything familiar to her. No such thing was found. "Hello?" she called out, her voice echoing more than ten times, the sound drowning out the idea of any sort of confinement.

No, the space was wide, vacant, and lonesome. The heat seeping through the air gave her chills. The soft, fluttering voice moaned an incoherent string of syllables she gathered were in a different dialect.

Arching a brow high, Jane whined. "What's going on?"

"You ask such useless, mundane inquiries, mortal," an entity bellowed through the soundless atmosphere of the large, bright room.

Jane turned around, seeing an exact replica of her clad in attire mimicking Asgardian fashion. "What the?"

"Fear not, mortal. I only take this form to protect my real image. That Loki-Liar cannot know of my contact with you," the familiar stranger retorted. The imposter Jane held her delicate, smooth hand authoritatively toward Jane. "Before you choose to ask any further useless questions, I only am here to order a favor."

"You can't order someone to do a favor. That's a bit redundant in logic," the mortal replied, smugly smiling.

"Do not speak to me in such wily ways, mortal. That speech never suited Loki, least of all yourself," inhaling quickly, the female image paused, "No, I require assistance with retrieving an old…artifact of mine: something that should never have left my presence in the first place. Whether you acquiesce this command willingly or not, I will use you in such retrieval without or with force. The choice is yours."

Jane stepped backward as alarm rose to her throat. "You call this ultimatum a choice? I'm not interested in working with someone I don't even know."

"Then you claim to know not even who you truly are? Such a waste of power," the imitation remarked sardonically.

"Who I truly am? What the hell are you talking about?"

Cracking a scornful smirk, the imposter chuckled, "You _really_ do not know. Such an exciting turn of events! I shall have a slow, enticing, and painful display of entertainment over you and your beloved Loki. He should have been killed eons ago. Instead, it was I who was locked up inside the trinket."

"Leave him out of this!" Jane shouted, her fists balling tightly.

The entity floated hastily toward Jane, grabbing her by the shoulders roughly. "You still defend such a monster? Just you wait until you gain clarity of his true nature."

"No!" Jane shouted, her eyes widening, alert.

Darkness once more enshrouded around her. Her breathing was labored, heavy, and entirely lead-like. She felt a ball of liquid fall from her eyes to her hand, sliding down her skin unto someone's neck. Jane gasped. "Loki?" she called amidst the darkness.

Movement between both of her hands that sealed around someone's neck disturbed her train of thoughts. Shrieking, Jane moved away from the body below her, backing into the nearest wall. "Loki, where are you?" she cried. Her hands moved into her messy hair as her chest rapidly heaved. "What's going on?" she whispered.

Something coughed rather frantically, but in the darkness, she could not make out whom she had been choking. "Who's there?" Jane spoke, fear raising like bile in her throat. When the body said nothing, clearly catching their breath, Jane looked about the darkness for the paled, light skinned man. He was nowhere to be found.

"Tell me who you are!" Jane clarified, warning. "Now!"

A familiar-toned grunt broke the silence in reply. Gasping, Jane broke from the wall and stepped toward the shadow just a few feet before her near the bed. "Loki? What's going on?"

"Jane, quiet. You were trying to kill me. Or rather, something else was through you. What were you dreaming of?" the voice spoke, though no body was clearly seen. She heard footsteps closing in toward her. As she stood by the window, the little moonlight illuminating the room finally uncovered a dark-skinned—almost the blue color of midnight—creature with terrifying, yet vivid orange eyes.

Jane screamed. This monster was not her Loki. "What are you?" she shouted, her arm lifting out in front of her to still the creature closing in on her.

Unable to catch the features of the creature, she heard him say, "J-Jane, what are you talking about?"

Jane quickly ran to turn the light on, exposing a stranger in her room. "Please tell me what's going on!"

Loki examined his exposed arms as he lifted them up to level his chest. He closed his eyes, quieting the fearful warmth of the loud eyes. She saw him swallow and take a step toward her. She did not move, but she was no less fearful. First a strange dream and now this? He sighed sadly and opened his eyes, lowering one arm. The other arm extended toward her, his hand inviting hers to hold.

"This is my true form. The skin you are used to seeing me in is but an image the Allfather created in order to allow me to fit in in Asgard. I've told you. I am a Frost Giant by birth. I hail originally from a realm called Jotunheim. I was the son of the king."

"Was?" Jane inquired. Her hand lifted, hovering over his blue palm. She did not touch him, yet.

He closed his vivid hues and lowered his head dejectedly. "When Thor came back to Asgard, I was using the Bifrost to slay all of Jotunheim. While king of Asgard, I manipulated Laufey into Asgard to kill him once and for all." He paused, his voice cracking. He started to shake, his relaxed, outstretched hand coiling tightly. "I was so pained and blinded by the truth of what I am. I thought all of my selfish worries would go away if Jotunheim was destroyed.

"I do not yet know the severity of my actions against my home realm stands. It could be rebuilding for all I know. But the damage has been done," he finished. He opened his eyes and shamefully met her brown hues once more.

"You've tried to extinguish two races of the nine realms because your father loved you like a son?" Jane raised, her eyes terribly exposed with anger.

He placed his hands on her shoulders and pushed her back into the nearby wall. His brows lowered as his eyes worried themselves with vulnerability, "I realize now my flaws and mistakes. They are irrevocably permanent. I cannot change the actions of my past. But, darling, I love you, and you have changed me inwardly and outwardly. You cannot know the suffering I placed upon myself. I have always been in Thor's shadow. I truly believed that reason alone would justify my actions. You must understand."

Jane bellowed, banging her fist against the wall behind her. Overwhelmed, she began to weep. So much energy flowed through her, guiding her through an array of contrasting emotions. Her hands lifted to cover her face. While she made no sounds of her sorrow, her shoulders shook. Slowly, she leaned in against his chest, knuckles hitting the metal of what armor he still had on.

His arms devoured her shaking, breaking form. He held her as she wept quietly. He whispered apologies in her ear, her hair, and her skin. His lips moved over her face, comforting her in such a wicked, yet wondrous way. As time progressed fluidly over them, Jane calmed, lifting her face from the safety of his chest.

Stricken with uncertainty, hurt, and vulnerability, Jane rose to her toes and gently kissed his blue, dark lips. Retreating from him quickly, she lowered her head and glanced away. His icy grasp moved to her chin and lifted her head up again, his lips covering hers in ceaseless marvel. She opened her mouth for him as he politely eased his tongue over her lower lip.

"Jane," he uttered, his voice cracking. They parted, eyes feasting over the others: orange scorching brown. Simultaneously, their breath became sluggish, yet heavy. Her eyes drew in a passion he'd not been exposed to. Slowly, his skin began to fade back to his pale tone and his eyes cooled back into their pale stare.

Jane moved her fingers over his noble cheekbones, stopping over his lips. Her eyes lifted to match his intent gaze. "Loki," she murmured. The word was not a curse. The utterance had not been in mockery. The word was a ballad against the peaceful silence, salvation finally found for them both.

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_**To be continued...**_

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Until next time! Please review! (:


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